The Early 20's

Two other developments were perhaps signs of a new post-war world. In August 1921 it was agreed that the Club should join the Midland Counties Golf Association. A year later, a team selected by R J Dunn and the Secretary was sent to take part in the Midland Championship. This was the first time in ten years that the Management Committee had discussed external competitions and been concerned to join in the wider world of match play. They did not record any results, but in 1923 the Committee was careful to select the three lowest handicap men for the same competition - Cuthbert Bailey, J R Barlow and the Secretary, George Parratt. Reserves were R J Dunn and A Gordon Jones.

In March 1922 some members challenged the 'no play on Sunday' rule, much to the annoyance of Archdeacon Graham, the vicar and a long established member. He failed in his defence of the traditional Position, incidentally, other clubs such as South Staffordshire had abandoned even before the war. However, play was now to be allowed on Sundays only after 1.30 Pm, without employing caddies, provided tea was not available before 4 o'clock. When this compromise was queried, the Management Committee neatly deferred to some unstated future meeting the proposal to open the bar! Social change could not leave Trentham undisturbed, however. In 1925 Sunday play after 10.00 am was sanctioned, without caddies it's true, but lunch, the bar and tea all to be available as normal. The vote in favour of this was 5o to 16 - the heat in the issue being reflected in the taking and recording of a vote at an annual general meeting, something the Secretary rarely had to do. This small social revolution was completed in 1926 when members were allowed to employ caddies on Sundays, but only those over eighteen years of age.

It's difficult to judge the quality of golf played at Trentham in the early 1920s. Monthly and annual competitions were staple Club fare, but there are few records of handicaps, and no way of assessing progress. Four ladies out of the fifty in the Club in 1913 had single figure handicaps, but there is a long gap in the records of ladies' inter-club competitions between 1900 and 1922. Comparisons with other clubs are impossible. Similarly, the men before 1914 are not known to have had success in anything other than friendly inter-club matches, and County golf was not started until 1923. R J Dunn, usually known as Jim, is thought to have competed about 1902 in the English Amateur Championship, and in the early 1920s was still counted among the most accomplished players. He was one of the few single figure players in 1924 at 3, alongside E H Powell, with A Gordon Jones on 2. In 1925 Jones, L Smith and Cuthbert Bailey had got down to 1, but the, only scratch player was J R Barlow. He was also the first man in the Club to Play for the County in 1925. The Club was credited with some 280 members, but 39 was a good entry for the President's Prize and Monthly Medals were run with 7 entries. Some were even cancelled for lack of support.