Yorkshire club discovers it was designed by world famous architect

A Yorkshire golf club that opened in 1904 has only discovered now that five of its holes were designed by one of the most famous golf course architects in history.

Keighley Golf Club was established as a nine-hole course but just four years later moved to its present location in Howden Park as a tenant, originally as another nine-hole course, which was extended to 18 holes in 1909. In 1920 the club purchased the land and the course was redesigned again, reopening in 1923.

Incredibly, the club quickly forgot that the person who carried out this redesign was Herbert Fowler, the man who designed Walton Heath and The Berkshire, and redesigned the 18th hole at Pebble Beach.

The information only came to light when a booklet from 1927 was found in the club’s attic.

Keighley’s chairman, Simon Tabel, told Keighley News: “When I saw Herbert Fowler’s name, I realised immediately that this was hugely significant.

“I’ve been a member here for 33 years and no-one has ever identified the architect responsible for the course until now, so it’s a fantastic discovery.”

The records revealed that Fowler was engaged by the club in 1922.

Image from X

He completed a redesign that included five completely new holes, then returned to the club to explain his changes to an Extraordinary General Meeting.

The £900 cost for the works was subsequently approved.

The course layout is almost identical just over 100 years later, with several design features still obvious.

Tabel said: “Herbert Fowler liked long accurate driving and many of our par fours are well over 400 yards.

Image from X

“There is also mounding and grass bunkers, which are typical, and the course uses the natural contours of the land.

“We’ve always known it’s a good course, now we can proudly say that we were designed by one of the best.”