From aWWII landmine to Rory McIlroy – history of P&K

PYLE and Kenfig Golf Club was formed by members of the Newton Nottage GC back in 1919 and it would be three more years before the first nine holes of the course were up and running.

The first four-ball to tread the fairways included Percy Alliss, father of respected BBC commentator and former Ryder Cup player Peter, who was at the time the club professional at Clyne.

It needed just three more years for the full 18 holes to come into play though it was entirely different to the layout we know today with the road, that cuts through the course, nothing more than a cart track back then running from Nottage village to Ton Kenfig.

The course remained relatively unchanged until June 1939 when the Glamorgan County Council started to widen the cart track and in doing so encroached on land the club leased, objections were made but with the outbreak of war the objections were withdrawn.

This did not stop the armed forces commandeering the 16th fairway and the land forming the 15th hole dogleg and their time spent on the course resulted in a landmine being dug up during drainage work back in October 1996 on the 13th hole.

The ‘device’ was casually thrown into the back of a vehicle by the head greenkeeper before being warned of its potential danger.

The landmine was then subject of a controlled explosion.

At the conclusion of the Second World War and the vacation of the land by the army, compensation to the amount of £938 13shillings was negotiated. £72 15shillings of this money was used to pay for the services of another great golf course architect Phillip Mackenzie Ross who designed the current back nine in 1947 by adding holes 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and the restoration of 16.

Mackenzie Ross described the whole area “as a veritable golfers paradise”.

The construction of the ‘A’ holes first mooted in 1956 were completed in 1983. It was the club members who were largely responsible for the design of these holes.

With the addition of the six ‘A’ holes Pyle and Kenfig may well be the only 23 hole course in the world. These five holes are used to promote junior golf and form part of our junior academy, they are also used during the winter months to allow the championship holes from 11 through to 15 to occasionally rest and be conditioned for the competition months.

Over the years the championship status of the course has been enhanced by being recognised by governing bodies for the hosting and co-hosting of their various