Mr. Charles E. Burnell the Managing Director of the Charlton Brewery Co. Ltd. of Shepton Mallet took the chair at the original meeting in 1908 and was President, which also meant Chairman of the Committee until his death in 1959. Thus he had a very great influence on the formation and growth of the Club.

Prior to 1908 there was a golf club at Shepton Mallet playing on land at Doulting called “The Sheep Sleight” on the south side of the G.W.R. railway line. The land was owned by Sir Richard Paget of Cranmore Hall and the tenant farmer was a Mr.Hoskins.

A meeting was called in October 1907 which 18 people attended and a further 19 expressed an interest and with this backing a resolution was passed to form The Mendip Golf Club and the various officers, including a Bank Manager, were elected. It fell to a Mr.Gane “to get the links in order” and when this was done and play had been in progress for one month there was to be a General Meeting.

Mr.Gane submitted a bill for £4/10s. and the committee offered him £3.

At the very first meeting opinion was divided over where the Club should play. Some favoured Doulting Sheep Sleight and others favoured Masbury. The majority favoured Doulting and an entrance fee of 10/6d and a subscription of 10/6d was decided upon. The Committee was authorised to spend £10 on the purchase of a pavilion and were accused of overspending when they paid £13 for it.

In 1908 there was a problem over security of tenure and Masbury was considered as an alternative. However, further negotiation at Doulting resulted in the Club being allowed to mow 9 acres and fence the greens and put in 3 bunkers for £11 per annum rising to £15 per annum if there were more than 60 members but despite this the lack of security of tenure remained a problem.

On 8 th October 1908 with Mr.Burnell in the Chair, a move to Masbury was approved by 21 in favour, none against and 5 abstentions.

Members were informed that a lease had been secured from the Duchy of Cornwall and that laying out the course would cost £30. Shares of 10 shillings each would be issued paying 5% interest.

In 1907/08 income totalled £56.2s.0d and expenditure £51.17.11d. The Groundsman’s wages were £12.7s.0d; Rent £3.1s.0d and Course upkeep £5 18s.8d.

Mr.Frederick Spencer, Chairman of Oakhill Brewery, offered a £150 loan to finance the building of a Pavilion and a tender of £122.10s. was accepted.

The grand opening of the new Pavilion by Mr. F. Spencer took place on the

6 th November 1909 and there was an exhibition match between Vardon (Professional at Worlebury) and Donald (Professional at Weston Super Mare) before lunch which was provided by Mr.E.E.Brighton, a prominent member of the Club and proprietor of the Hare and Hounds Hotel at Shepton Mallet.

On the 10 th December 1911 the Club House was totally destroyed by fire.

Mr.F.Spencer once again came to the rescue and a new building was erected for £205 and formally opened by Miss Burnell on the 26 th June 1912.

This Club House was the focal point for Club activities until the main structure of the present Club House was brought into use on the 23 rd April 1969.

In 1912, Mr.Burnell bought the land occupied by the present 10 th hole, 3 rd and 4 th greens plus the 11 th and 16 th tees and leased it to the Club at a very generous rent. The new holes were opened for play in June 1913.

Mowing was carried out by horse drawn implements. In 1926 an auto mower with trailer seat was bought and in 1931 a new horse and harness was purchased from Clevedon Golf Club. This arrangement lasted until 1936 when a change was made to an old Ford car with land wheels ‘similar to the one in use at Saltford Golf Club’.

Between the wars the Club managed to keep going with an average membership of 115 and a corresponding subscription of 2 Guineas.

 

The war years proved to be very difficult. Mr.Jeffery the Professional, was called up and in 1945 there were just 60 members. It was very much a case of volunteers helping to keep the Club going.

By order of the War Emergency Agricultural Committee the 4th fairway was ploughed up and not reinstated until 1950. Sir Reginald Hobhouse kept some sheep on the course and they helped to keep the grass down at a time when you could not get fuel for mowers.

Electricity replaced the oil lamps in December 1959 but the water supply still consisted of what could be collected from the roofs and stored. In 1961 Mr. Wesley Golden, then owner of the Mendip Service Station, created the pipeline facility whereby mains water could be pumped from his place to the storage tank at the Club which was a big step forward.