Former golf pro who helped to found Leamington club celebrates 90th birthday

From the 1970s and for more than two decades, Don Knight was the professional at Newbold Comyn Golf Club.

Warwick District Council (WDC) opened the municipal course at Newbold Comyn in the early 1970s and the club was founded soon after.

When the course first opened visitors were charged 50p to play a round on weekdays and 80p at weekends.

In 1976 a project to convert a former cowshed into the ‘nineteenth hole’ was given permission to proceed by the district council – this later became the club shop.

Last Sunday (July 14), Don and his family celebrated his 90th birthday at The Newbold Comyn Arms next to the former shop.

Don’s son Gary, a talented golfer himself, said: “I was still at school when dad started at Newbold but I know his first assistant was Steve Hutchinson, who went on to be a well known teacher of the game.

"They built the club up to be one of the best municipal courses in the Midlands and it was very popular with golfers.

"He made many friends during his 26 years at the club, and his first boss was Alan Pedley head of amenities, and the person behind Pedley’s Wood, which adjoins the old course.

"He was replaced by Dale Best who later became WDC’s amenities boss.”

The closure of the course was controversial with WDC’s contractor Mack Golf breaching its contract by closing it suddenly in late 2017.

Mack Golf went into voluntary liquidation in October 2018.