Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

Golf Course

A nine hole golf course was established on the Old Bowling Green in the 1890s where play continued until the First World War.  There were a few problems with the site: it was rather hazardous for passers-by; one hole was considered rather too near to the workhouse (where Woodland Vale care home is today); horse drawn traffic on the way down the hill to the station had to stop if golf was in progress and one of the players wished to drive across the road!

In June 1921, three years after the end of the First World War, a meeting was held at the Town Hall to consider the idea of restarting the golf club and thirty people expressed an interest.  A new course was made and opened at Darracott.  The club moved to its present site at Furzebeam in 1932.  As the course is part of the commons (the golf club pay rent to the Conservators) there have always been problems with protecting the greens from grazing animals (up to 1981 when grazing stopped) and from walkers (and their dogs) but, on the whole, the club and the Commons Conservators have managed to work together.  During the Second World War the central part of the course was ploughed up to grow corn and potatoes.

Some players from other clubs find the Torrington course shorter than they would like and its layout rather tight but this is compensated for by the immaculately kept greens and the magnificent views over the surrounding countryside.

Further information can be found on the Torrington Golf Club website: http://www.torringtongolfclub.co.uk/