The History of North Wilts...continued
By some degree of fortune, a future Chairman of the club, John Lumley happened to meet land agents for the Crown Commissioners from whom the club rented the current land. They declined to intervene and purchase the land directly, but in a roundabout way, the Crown Commissioners secured this land and agreed to lease it to the club. In addition to this the land upon which now stands the eighth and ninth holes and the practice area was also acquired by the Crown and leased to the club. Ken Cotton, a course architect had been consulted early in the planning stages and soon drew up the plans upon which the current course is based. After much ado, construction of the new course began in ernest in the spring of 1970.
Ken Cotton and his partner Charles Lawrie ( a former Walker Cup Captain) were frequent visitors to the club during these days. Cotton himself was a very sprightly octogenerarian with fixed ideas. The committee of the time felt his plans for the design could be improved upon but were concerned about his potential reaction. As luck (or deviousness, depending on your viewpoint) would have it, Cotton was partial to the odd drop of liquid refreshment with his lunch and it was at one such lunch the committees ideas were presented to him. The great man took no offence at the suggestions made and work then went on apace.
The rest of that year and most of the next were spent constructing greens and tees, importing top-soil, manufacturing bunkers, seeding banks and moving turf from the old eighth fairway. Completion came late in 1971 and the new nine holes were opened for limited play in October of that year. The occasion was marked with a Gala day in October 1972 when Wiltshire played the Western Counties. Western Counties won the match three to nothing but special note must go to Bill Ellis of Wiltshire, who left shortly after the match to attend his honeymoon in Scotland. He had been married just the day before!
The next few decades were fairly uneventful, with the Club establishing itself within the County as an 18 hole course. Mr Barry Sandry was appointed as the first Club Professional in 1973, followed by Ian Bolt in 1976 and Graham Laing in 1979. Graham is still the Club's professional today.
The Club celebrated it's centenary in 1990 with a week of golfing events, culminating in a Ball for over 200 members.
With an ever increasing membership, the committee decided in 1991 to pursue the possibility of extending the clubhouse. The plans included improved facilities for the professionals shop and stewards accommodation, provision for a secretary's office, an extended dining room and lounge and larger locker rooms for both gentlemen and ladies.
The members voted to provide the club with a gift or one off interest free loan of £140 to finance the £280,000 project (£80,000 raised by the members). The "new" clubhouse was officially opened in December 1992 by the Club's then President, Mr Charles Woodward.
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