Lee Park Golf Club

In the mid 1940s the Merseyside Jewish Golfing Society decided to establish its own course in the Liverpool area along the lines of similar clubs in Leeds, Manchester and London. The first opportunity came in 1945 when the Executors of the Atherton Estate, owners of the course at Hurst Park, Huyton, intimated their wish to sell. Sol Bennett, a member of Hurst Park at that time, summoned a meeting of Jewish golfers who agreed to offer £29,000 against the asking price of £30,000. Indecision by the Athertons caused the situation to drag on until late in 1948 by which time the Hurst Park members had managed to organise the finance and match the offer under the name of Huyton & Prescot Golf Club. Not wishing to get involved in a damaging auction, Sol and his friends withdrew their offer.

Their time had not been wasted because there was now a committed band of enthusiasts ready to respond to the next attempt, also organised by Sol Bennett. The 1954 - 2004 history of Lee Park Golf Club, compiled by Geoffrey Swift, quotes verbatim from Sol’s memoirs in which he tells of the trials and tribulations he and his friends endured before the club came into existence in 1954. Space here does not permit a full account of their efforts but it started in the Spring of 1950 when Sol spotted Lee Hall, a tumble-down mansion at Netherley and knocked on the door of the nearby farmhouse. To his delight he discovered that the farm, comprising 225 acres, was for sale and his offer to buy 75 acres was subsequently accepted with the remaining land to be sold at auction. By March 1953 the planning consents and funding were in place and Lee Park Golf Club held its first Directors Meeting. Jack Tarsh served as Captain for the first two years and Sol Bennett for the third. The first 12 holes were opened in 1954 and the remaining 6 in 1956.

Whilst Lee Hall, in its day, would have been a splendid clubhouse its condition was so poor that it was demolished and all that remains is the coach house by the 10th tee. The old farmhouse served as the first clubhouse until replaced by a new purpose built one which has been extended and refurbished over the years. After the initial euphoria, problems that had not been envisaged started to manifest themselves. The construction of four large tenement blocks were not only a blight on the landscape but also brought the unwelcome attention of children and youths bent on destruction. Despite the strenuous efforts of the greenkeeper, Terry Holmes assisted by his alsation dogs, trespass and vandalism was a constant problem which affected both the course and the clubhouse. Fish were removed from the ponds in the hope of deterring the children who gathered there and eventually the ponds were filled in. It was a great relief when the flats were demolished in 1992 thus restoring the rural landscape and the present day peaceful enjoyment of the members.

The original membership was almost entirely Jewish with a few Jewish friends. However, by the late 1970s it was obvious to the Council that falling membership was taking the club on a downward spiral and the decision was taken to actively recruit members from all faiths. It has always been a club policy to accept members from any persuasion. The success of this campaign has restored the financial stability of the club and approximately 80% of the present members are not Jewish. Lee Park is a Jewish club and observes the Jewish holy days and dietary rules. It joined the Society in 1956 and has provided two Captains, Dr Harold Cantor (1969/70) and Geoffrey Swift (1995/96).

Lee Park Golf Club Captains

Year Captain Year Captain Year Captain
1954 J Tarsh 1981 B Young 2008 A T Ashton
1955 J Tarsh 1982 S Brayde 2009 D P Towell
1956 S Bennett 1983 M Beacon 2010 P Rastall
1957 H Cantor 1984 G C Swift 2011 R H Stone
1958 B Lewis 1985 M Richard 2012 T W Trafford
1959 F Compton 1986 C W Cohen 2013 D N Mollard
1960 H L Silverston 1987 D H Ludzker 2014 N Krasner
1961 J Sytner 1988 M Mendick 2015 D W Ford
1962 I Leveson 1989 D English 2016 A Pennington
1963 S I Canter 1990 D L Harris 2017 P Graff
1964 S E Goldsmith 1991 C Bredski 2018 J Beck
1965 Sir H Livermore 1992 S W Chinn 2019 M D Worsfold
1966 I Samuels 1993 I Bennett 2020 D L Keen
1967 R Bennett 1994 D E Webster 2021 D L Keen
1968 L C Wolfman 1995 E K Deacon 2022 JA Dunmore
1969 K J Stern 1996 A Hurst 2023 P Yoh
1970 K Shiffman 1997 P M Carney 2024 C G B Farley
1971 J J Rivlin 1998 M Pevy    
1972 A K Harris 1999 M B Bennett    
1973 M Sorsky 2000 S G Settle    
1974 M Boher 2001 C T Robinson    
1975 W Ison 2002 N R Navan    
1976 S Linton 2003 J Lander    
1977 D Solomon 2004 E M Mott-Cowan    
1978 L S Bennett 2005 J Gilvary    
1979 H L Goffman 2006 R E Townsend    
1980 S Linton 2007 I Glassman