Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club has been given a make over

May 17 2011 Formby Times

ONE of golf’s best known holes, indeed once described in its long history as “the finest hole in England, “Gumbley’s,” at Southport and Ainsdale, has been given a make-over.

S&A was part of the huge golf boom in the early part of the last century and inevitably some greens have become compacted. The work has been part of a programme of alteration to several greens in the coming years. Some will be rebuilt and reshaped.

The completion of the first phase of the work, the redesigning of two holes and a new 17th tee, has been marked with a challenge match between a Captain’s team and the Lady Captain’s team.

Both the holes, the 2nd and the 16th, have been lengthened to challenge the big-hitters of the modern game and those who come from distant parts to play Gumbley’s will notice other changes.

But with its famous bunker, its face lined with railway sleepers, it remains S&A’s signature hole, the most famous on England’s Golfing Capital on the local coast, stroke index four, in golf’s one-18 rating of difficulty.

The bunker has made the hole famous. It is a great challenge and indeed it has been recorded that it was named Gumbley’s after the gentleman who spent some time in this big trap.