History - A personal recolection
In 1907 Major Morgan was a sixteen year old schoolboy at Llandovery College. He became a founder member on his father's family ticket. He has been six times captain, three times champion and is Vice President of the club. He won the first Lord Aberdare Easter Cup solid silver and still has it. Except for his four years in France (1914-18), his association with the club has been continuous. It is with great pleasure that we publish this contribution.
It was the year 1907 when a small band of enthusiasts started a search in the Aberdare Valley for a site suitable for a golf course. A carriage 'recce' was made from Hirwaun to Mountain Ash which resulted in two possible sites, viz. Abercwmboi and Toncoch farms. The latter was chosen.
It was occupied as a sheep farm by Powell Duffryn Coal Co. and had two shepherds in cottages on the farm.
The P.D. Co. were very co operative, thanks to their chief engineer Mr. E. M. Hann and his eldest son George, who became the first captain of the club. A professional golfer, Mr. J. H. S. Morris, was employed to lay out the course. He came from Cirencester and started without delay. Mrs. Bebb of Toncoch Terrace was employed as stewardess and her husband William as a groundsman to cut the fairways with horse drawn mowers.
Nine holes were laid out. The building of the Pavilion was financed by Lord Aberdare at a cost of fifteen hundred pounds. A good number of gentlemen and ladies soon joined and trophies were donated. The Club Championship Shield was donated by Mr. F. W. Mander, the Easter Cup by Lord Aberdare, and the Whitting Cup by Mr. Morgan H. Whitting. For the ladies, Mrs. Evan Evans donated the A. M. Evans Bowl. The course record was held for some time by Mr. J. H. S. Morris, at seventy seven. In 1919, three holes were added and a further eight in 1922. Two were abandoned and we became an eighteen hole course, more or less as we know it today. A few holes have been improved and lengthened and the sequence altered a number of times.
In 1923, some of the Aberdare members became dissatisfied and left Mountain Ash to form Aberdare Golf Club. In spite of this severe loss of membership the club carried on through difficult times and flourished. Lord Aberdare took a great interest in the club and joined in the competition for many years. Subsequently, he gave the pavilion to the members.
Mountain Ash Golf Club are proud to be associated with
