Club History

The early history of Ryton Golf Club is intertwined with that of Tyneside Golf Club – now ‘up the hill’ in Ryton Village – with the distinction between the ‘upper classes’ and ‘working classes’ that is the subject of some good humoured banter even today!

In 1879, nine holes of golf were laid out at Ryton Willows – an area of land between the River Tyne and the Newcastle-Hexham-Carlisle railway land, now a Local Nature Reserve – by Mungo Park, the first professional at the Tyneside club and Open Champion in 1874.  A local gardener (Mr M J Wake) was paid £3.18.0d (£3.90) for laying the nine greens, plus extra for the hire of a horse and roller to roll the greens.  The nine holes measured a total of 2480 yards and were named Marsh, Stile, North, Mid, Tree, Table, Tyne, Boat House and Station, with bogeys ranging from 4 to 6 and totalling 44.

The course was seemingly well received at the time and was reported as being superior to the Leith Links, though not as good as those at Alnmouth, but “forms a very agreeable medium and certainly is the best place available in the immediate neighbourhood of Newcastle for playing the game[1] - a description that could equally well be applied today to the course at Ryton. 

In 1891, the Ryton Working Men’s Golf Club was formed when on March 16th, 17 men[2] met at Ryton railway station and elected a committee under the chairmanship of Mr W Orange.  The meeting was probably organised by Mr George Metcalfe, the Stationmaster, who lived at Ryton Station House and was Captain of the Club in 1891.  At that time the club was called the Tyneside Working Men’s Golf Club.  Permission was granted for the club to play on the same ground at The Willows – their players distinguished from the Tyneside members by their more day to day clothing, as opposed to the Red Coats (as described further below).  The first subscription was fixed at one shilling a quarter, though was soon reduced to 9 pence a quarter.  The first competition was held on Good Friday 1891.  In 1893, Club membership was limited to 40; in 1894 the handicap limit was dropped to 20.  The occupations of most of the 17 men[2] were working class, and many were young men in their twenties, as set out in the spreadsheet below.

Golf was a game for the privileged few (men) in the early years, and the early members ensured a local distinction by playing in red jackets, as a result of which they were known as the Red Coats.  Knickerbockers and caps also formed part of the outfits worn on the course.  Local people were encouraged to play and this fostered the beginnings of the Working Men’s Golf Club.  This ‘Artisans’ Club took over the purpose built clubhouse when the parent club moved out and went to Tyneside (the Western Falls) in 1903.

The move west

Also in 1894, the Club’s name was changed to the Ryton Working Men’s Club.  Ryton remained at The Willows site until 1911, when the course was relocated about 1km to the west, to the Dr Stanners site on the south bank of the Tyne.  Here, a nine hole course was built and a wooden hut served as the clubhouse.  Ladies were also admitted to the Club at this time, though it was 1928 before a Ladies Committee was formed.  The first trophy for competitive golf for ladies was presented in 1931, the Jubilee Vase – a trophy still being played for by the ladies today.

From the names of the first members it can be seen that several of these were related and this tradition has continued over the years, with Ryton remaining as a ‘family club’, with a long tradition of friendliness.

In 1909 the Club changed its name to Ryton Golf Club, though the First World War interrupted play at the course and it was 1922 before golf resumed at the Dr Stanners site.  During the First World War, much of the land at Dr Stanners was used for hay and other purposes.  During this time the Ryton golfers shared the 18 hole, Western Falls course at Tyneside with the members there.

A new clubhouse for the Ryton members was opened in 1929 and was granted a license to serve alcohol in 1931.  This was rebuilt in 1975 around the frame of the old wooden clubhouse. 

From 9 to 18 holes and other progress

The course was extended to 18 holes when the adjacent land became available from the local council and the new 9 holes came into play for the first time on July 17, 1982.

In 1991 the Club celebrated its centenary with a dinner and dance held at the Federation Breweries Lancaster Suite on Friday November 16th, 1990 and in 1994 a new clubhouse was officially opened on Saturday 24 September.

In August 2011, the Club celebrated 100 years of golf on the ‘bottom nine holes’ with a pairs competition for all members, including nearest the pin on every hole and an optional fancy dress competition.  132 people took part on the day, though heavy rain interrupted the day’s events, resulting in the play off and 18th hole ‘shoot out’ for the nearest the pin winners being postponed until later in the year.

In 2016 the Club celebrated 125 years of golf with a range of activities and competitions throughout the year, and funds were raised to enable new flooring to be provided in the clubhouse lounge.

Tyneside / Ryton Working Men's GC - early members list

The below information is based on the 1891 Census records, and was kindly researched for the Club by Dr Michael Morrison, Cambridge, who is putting together a book on the great boom in golf in England, in the period from 1890 to 1913.  Over a thousand golf clubs came into existence in this period, of which Ryton was the third working men's / artisan club, after Newbiggin (1885) and Northam (1888).  The 1895 photo is one of those on the wall alongside the stairs up to the lounge. If anyone can shed any more light on any of the below, please get in touch with the Club.

 

17 original members (16th March 1891)                      
                             
  Surname First Name Address Age     Occupation In 1895 photo Comments        
                             
  Wass John Ryton 23     Iron moulder              
  Metcalfe W             No information found      
  Metcalfe George Ryton 37     Stationmaster   Lived at Ryton Station House;   Captain - 1891  
  Robson James Ryton 30     Postman              
  Robson George Ryton 26     Fireman              
  Stobart John Ryton 28     Country House Officer   Secretary          
  Tate Walter Ryton 26     Blacksmith   Secretary (later)        
  Tate Joseph Ryton 18     Blacksmith              
  Orange William Ryton 45     Cartman Yes Chairman           
  Orange Joseph Ryton 15     Office boy              
  Metcalfe Frederick George Ryton 13     Scholar              
  Ellsworth George Ryton 23     Mechanic, pattern maker Yes Captain - 1893, 1894        
  Yielder Hugh Ryton 18     Coal miner Yes            
  Hall Septimus Ryton 22     Fitter, foundry              
  Liddle William Ryton 27     Coal miner              
  Errington Joseph Whickham 20     Iron turner              
  Hamilton Adam Ryton 21     Colliery plate layer              
                             
Other early members                        
                             
  Stephenson T           Yes No information found; Captain - 1896    
  Lauder Robert Ryton 23     Brewer's clerk              
  Forster Robert Ryton 22     Painter              
  Winder James Ryton 28     Gardener              
  Hall Thomas Ryton 26     Machinist,  foundry Yes            
  Hetherington John Ryton 26     Coal miner              
  Ramsey Thomas Ryton 24     Painter Yes            
  Henderson Joseph Ryton 22     Steam engine fitter              
  Newton Robert Ryton 24     Tailor Yes            
  Gaynor J             No information found      
  Collins Richard Ryton 39     Golf club & ball maker   Club professional        
  Heatlie Thomas Ryton 25     Farrier Yes            
  Turnbull John Matthew Ryton 16     Apprentice painter Yes            
  Collins William Ryton 12     Scholar Yes Born - Scotland (son of pro)      
  Owen D           Yes No information found      
  Owen H           Yes No information found      
  Turnbull Thomas Ryton 14     Coal miner Yes            
  Grice Benjamin Ryton 29     School teacher Yes            
  Stephenson W           Yes            
                             
Presidents and Vice Presidents (presumed to be members of Tyneside GC)              
                             
  Steel               First President        
  Spencer T             Second President        
  Bourn T W         Shipowner   VP          
  Charlton G F              VP          
  Dunn A H             VP          
  Tennant J             VP          
  Taylor J             VP          
  Radcliffe J B             VP          
  Crawford-Smith H             VP          
  Jones W             VP          
                             

[1] Extract from “The Field”, 1st May 1880

[2] The names of these 17 men being J Wass, W Metcalfe, G Metcalfe, J Robson, G Robson, J Stobart, W Tate, J Tate, W Orange, J Orange, F G Metcalfe, G Ellsworth, H Yielder, S Hall, W Liddle, J Errington and A Hamilton.


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