Club History

In 1894, permission was given by the Lord of the Manor for the establishment of a nine-hole golf links on Burbage Common. Complaints from the public were nullified by a small, one-off, contribution towards maintenance of the common and so with clearing and relaying of fairways and greens Burbage Common Golf Club was formed. A lease was taken out on the old brick yard site and disused quarry (the bowl of the current 11th and 12th holes), and the membership of just 20 male golfers set about building the original Clubhouse (on the site of the flats behind the current 12th tee).

The old Clubhouse was burnt down in 1952 when most of the old Club records were lost. Only local newspaper reports help us to reconstruct the past and in them it was noted that the course record stood at 33. For a period of time Burbage Common became a nine hole course with three extra holes, one of which required you to hit over the railway! These holes were lost to allotments during the war and reverted to common afterwards. The Club, in 1952, had purchased the freehold on the brick yard land and the new Clubhouse was built on the site of the old one but this time with electricity, rather than a coke stove. Over the next 20 years various extensions were added, including a flat for the professional.

A serious injury to a member of the public spurred greater activity towards building an 18-hole course. Cooperation between the Council, the Education Authority and the Railway Company, together with a determined group of members, led by Frank Downes, eventually brought about the golf course that we now know. The course, including three holes from the old course, was opened in 1983 and the club house, on a new site, opened in 1985. 4,000 trees were planted on the old farmland and as these have matured and other improvements been implemented, the course has become more picturesque, more and more challenging, and is now one of the “must play” courses in the Midlands.