Exmouth historian: When The Maer was a golf course

Your historian was recently asked by a visitor to the museum why does Exmouth not have a golf club.

There is the splendid East Devon Golf Club at Budleigh Salterton which offers breathtaking views, but Exmouth's club ceased to exist - it is believed - in the early 1950s.

Exactly why it closed your historian has not been able to find out, so please feel free to email him if you know why (see below).

Beginnings of Exmouth golf club

The club was established in 1885 with only nine holes, but there was evidence of a ladies club as early as 1883.

It leased its course from the council on The Maer, which is shared with the cricket club and general public walking on it.

The longest hole was 276 yards and the shortest 134 yards. It was a mile in length, and you played it twice to make a round of eighteen holes.

The entrance fee was one guinea, with the annual subscription the same.

By 1890, there were 80 members, and two years later a professional greenkeeper was employed.

By 1905, the fee had risen to two guineas with the subscription the same – no doubt to pay for the greenkeeper!

The First World War and the club at its greatest extent

In 1914, the course was extended to eighteen holes, but with the outbreak of war it reverted back to nine holes as the land was used for growing vegetables.

In 1922, with the membership at 200, the eighteen holes were restored in line with the course map reproduced below.

Exmouth Golf Club course map (Mike Menhenitt)

As can be seen, the holes were along the Maer, and up on the cliffs above Foxholes.

This had been preceded in 1920 by a new clubhouse being erected, having been moved from its original Undercliff site to a site on Queens Drive which later became Exmouth Zoo, and even more recently the amusement arcade.

Play was only allowed Monday to Saturday and this lasted until about 1947 when Sunday play became permissible.

By 1937, with a membership of 250, the course had the first nine holes out at a length of 2885 yards and the home nine holes at 2600 yards giving a total of 5485 yards with a par of 70.

The first hole, at 387 yards, a par 4, had a huge sand bunker in it and if you survived that the second was a short par 3 of 195 yards. The longest hole was the par 5 seventh at 457 yards.

Ladies' golf, and decline of Exmouth club

I mentioned at the beginning that there had been evidence of a ladies club before the gentlemans', as early as 1883, when a six-hole course had been laid out, that you could play for sixpence a day.

In 1902, the secretary was a Miss E G C Morant who also held the course record of 75 for many years.

In 1905, the membership stood at 25 and the subscription one guinea. However, for £1, 11 shillings and sixpence ladies could play the gentleman's course.

By 1914, the ladies had a membership of 56, they were still only playing six holes and the subscription had risen to £1, 10 shillings and sixpence. Sunday play was still not allowed.

It was not until after the First World War that ladies were able to play the gentlemans' course, but only on certain days.

The club's fortunes seemed to have declined after the Second World War and in spite of efforts to keep it going it closed in the early 1950s and Exmouth has had no full-length golf club since.

If you would like to know more please visit the museum's website or you can email Mike at [email protected].

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Ed: This article is from Mike Menhenitt's Walking Through Exmouth History series. Use the links below to read previous articles:

Part One: The beginnings of Exmouth, from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age

Part Two: Exmouth in the Iron Age - and the arrival of the Celts

Part Three: Roman coins and Viking raids

Part Four: The impact of the Norman conquest, and how places in Exmouth got their names

Part Five: How Exmouth became a fashionable seaside resort in the 18th century

Part Six: How the docks brought prosperity to Exmouth - and then became the marina

Part Seven: The coming of the railway

Part Eight: Turnpikes, toll houses and inns in Exmouth

Part Nine: Jobs your ancestors had in the town through the ages