Welcome to Dean Wood Golf Club

 

 

 

Set in the heart of Lancashire, Dean Wood Golf Club is a superb and rewarding challenge for golfers of all standards.  The Club was originally formed back in 1922 (a brief history is included further down this page) and as well as a thriving membership the club also holds several open competitions each year which has visitors coming back time and again.  To view details of these simply go to the Open Competitions page.

Located between the rural villages of Upholland and Orrell (on the outskirts of Wigan) Dean Wood is a picturesque and welcoming club offering golfers of all standards the chance to sample one of the jewels of Lancashire's world-famous golfing pedigree.

Dean Wood has everything the keen golfer needs from a challenging and beautifully picturesque course to a warm, friendly welcome and excellent hospitality in the club house restaurant.

For details on competitions, how to get here, contacting us or the course itself just select one of the links on the left.

Meanwhile, if you are considering coming along to sample the delights of the course and the warmth and friendliness of the welcome please feel free to take a few minutes to see what's in store by exploring the rest of our site.

Thank you for visiting us - hope to see you on the course or in the club house!

The clubhouse, patio and practice putting green

Approach to the eleventh (stroke index 1)

A Brief History of Dean Wood Golf Club...

Foundation

On Wednesday January 4th 1922 a meeting took place in the Council Offices, Orrell when it was resolved after considerable discussion that a golf club be formed and that it should be known as the 'Dean Wood Golf Club'.  Later meetings took place in the Abbey Lakes Hotel and the Stag Inn.  Subscriptions were initially £2 for men and £1 for ladies.  The Chairman of the first meeting was Mr R.O. ('Sporty') Hall who became the first Captain of the Club.

Clubhouses

In the absence of proper facilities the original members made do with nails driven into an oak tree but fairly soon a wooden clubhouse was built (at a cost of £175) on the site of the present green-keeper's bungalow by the 13th tee.

Later, a second clubhouse with two storeys and a flat roof was built off Lafford Lane and this in turn was demolished in the late 1980's to make way for the present clubhouse.

The Course

In the early days play started on the present 13th hole and finished nine holes later on the present 12th with what must have been a nerve-wracking final drive.  An EGM in 1932 came out in favour of further development of the course and the famous Mr James Braid (five times Open Champion) was commissioned to design nine more holes.  It is said that Mr Braid saved the life of the crucial oak tree on the 2nd hole and so perhaps it should be christened 'Braid's Tree'.

A handbook published just after the new holes had been added in 1933 describes the course and its surroundings as follows:

 
 

   Practice putting green in front of the clubhouse

The course itself offers  an excellent day's golf, made all the more enjoyable by some splendid views and a bracing atmosphere.  For the first few holes the quaint old village of Upholland is constantly in view but beyond the fifth one feels that real open country has been reached with some of the finest views in the district.  On the one hand is rolling well-wooded country stretching to Rivington and the surrounding hills of Anglezarke whilst on the other is the Billinge-Ashurst Ridge with St Joseph's College standing out prominently.  In between the Douglas Valley presents a pretty picture.

 

The club has recently published its Course Management Policy document which details the approach taken with regard to all matters impacting on course preparation.  The aim being to establish a clear and consistent approach to course management to fulfill the potential of the course for the benefit of members, their guests and visitors.

This document can be viewed here...       

 

The opening hole seems straight forward but watch out for the tree on the right!

Putting on the 17th with the 11th in the background

Professionals

In 1922 there were 43 applications for the post of club professional.  Mr P.Humphrey was appointed at the princely wage of £2 a week.  There have been several others, but from 1954 to 1999 the professional was Mr Tony Coop, universally famous for his exploits in the Open Championship in the early 1960s.  From 1999 to Spring 2008 the post was occupied by Stuart Danchin.  Currently the professional is Dave Clarke.

 

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