The History of Brynhill Golf Club

From Humble Beginnings to a Proud Welsh Golfing Legacy

Brynhill Golf Club has a history unlike many others.

From a meeting at Barry YMCA in 1921, to sheep grazing across the original course, a clubhouse built from First World War army huts, a possible Welsh golfing first on film, links to Ryder Cup greatness, a visit from Bob Hope and generations of home-grown golfing talent, Brynhill’s story is one of community, ambition and a genuine love of the game.

More than a century later, the club continues to evolve — but the values on which Brynhill was founded remain at its heart.

Where It All Began – February 1921

Brynhill Golf Club as we know it today began its life on Wednesday 9 February 1921, when a meeting was held at Barry YMCA under the chairmanship of Mr R. Fletcher.

The purpose of the meeting was to explore the possibility of acquiring land on which to establish a golf club for Barry.

A suitable site was identified and an agreement was eventually reached with the tenant farmer to rent the land for just £3 per year — on one important condition: he would still be allowed to graze his sheep on it.

It is probably fair to assume that this made teeing off around the ninth hole slightly more interesting than it is today!

The new club now had land, but it still needed a golf course.

Ted Ray Helps Lay Out Brynhill

On 7 March 1921, professional golfer Ted Ray was contracted to peg out the greens and tees.

For his work, he was paid the princely sum of £10.

The founder members themselves then played a huge part in physically constructing the new course. Stones were removed, greens were created and tees were built by hand.

There was no grand clubhouse in those early days either.

A portable shed was borrowed from Barry Docks and placed close to the site of the present clubhouse, giving the new members somewhere to call home while the club was being established.

It was golf club building in its purest form: members, volunteers and local people creating something together.

Brynhill’s First Club Professional

In May 1921, the club appointed its first professional, Mr David Rees.

That appointment would ultimately create a remarkable link between Brynhill and one of the great names in Welsh golf.

David had an eight-year-old son at the time.

His name was Dai Rees.

Dai would go on to become one of Wales’ most celebrated golfers, winning a total of 39 major tournaments, finishing runner-up in The Open Championship on three occasions and representing Great Britain & Ireland in nine Ryder Cups.

He captained the Ryder Cup team five times and famously led them to victory at Lindrick in 1957.

Soon after that historic triumph, Dai was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

He was also named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1957, becoming one of only a very small number of golfers ever to receive the award.

For Brynhill, the connection is particularly special.

The father of one of Welsh golf’s greatest figures was the club’s very first professional.

The Official Opening – 28 May 1921

Brynhill Golf Club was officially opened on Saturday 28 May 1921.

The honour went to the club’s President, Major William Cope MP, who performed the ceremonial “driving-in” to mark the beginning of the new club.

Major Cope himself would later become an important figure in public life.

In 1928 he was created a Baronet, becoming Sir William Henry Cope, 1st Baronet of South Wales, and was also appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his services.

But the opening day of Brynhill may also have created a little piece of Welsh sporting history.

Was Golf First Filmed in Wales at Brynhill?

Following Major William Cope MP’s ceremonial opening, a foursomes match was played featuring the Club Captain and David Rees against two local golfers from Dinas Powys.

The match was filmed by the manager of Barry’s Theatre Royal.

The footage was subsequently shown in local cinemas.

It is believed that this may have been the first occasion on which golf was filmed and screened in Wales.

For a club only a few months old, it was quite an extraordinary beginning.

Golf, cinema and Brynhill were brought together in 1921 — at a time when moving pictures themselves were still a relatively new form of entertainment.

From a Borrowed Shed to a Proper Clubhouse

While the golf course was being constructed, work was also underway to provide Brynhill with a permanent clubhouse.

Two First World War army huts were purchased and transported all the way from Salisbury Plain to Barry.

The huts were redesigned, converted and furnished, with the overall project eventually costing approximately £2,000 — a considerable investment at the time.

The clubhouse was officially opened on 12 November 1921.

By this point, Brynhill had established a nine-hole golf course, with an 18-hole round measuring approximately 6,300 yards.

In less than a year, the club had progressed from an idea discussed at Barry YMCA to an established golfing venue with its own course, professional and clubhouse.

John Collins and a Legacy of Junior Golf

Another important chapter in Brynhill’s history belongs to John Collins.

John served as Junior Leader at Brynhill Golf Club from 1973 until 1997 — an extraordinary 24 years of service.

His knowledge and dedication to junior golf became recognised well beyond Brynhill.

He was elected to the Glamorgan County Executive Committee, where his expertise in junior golf led to him becoming Juniors’ Secretary.

His contribution was eventually recognised at national level.

In 2005, John received the prestigious Sir Henry Cotton Award for services to Junior golf in Britain.

The award was presented to him by Sir Michael Bonallack.

It was fitting recognition for decades of commitment to helping young golfers develop and enjoy the game.

That junior tradition remains an important part of Brynhill today.

The Day Bob Hope Came to Brynhill

Bob Hope outside the new clubhouse in 1984

In October 1984, another remarkable moment was added to the club’s history when a new clubhouse was officially opened.

Brynhill was fortunate enough to have one of the most famous entertainers in the world perform the opening.

Bob Hope had returned to Barry to reacquaint himself with his family home and kindly agreed to visit Brynhill Golf Club.

He subsequently declared the new clubhouse officially open.

For those present, it became one of the most memorable days in the club’s history.

Bob Hope was one of the most recognisable entertainers of the 20th century and had a famously close association with golf.

His honours included the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal and appointment as an Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE), along with numerous other awards and tributes.

He lived to the remarkable age of 100.

From Hollywood to Brynhill — it remains an extraordinary connection in the club’s story.

Brynhill Expands – A New Golf Course

The next major transformation came during the 1990s.

An additional 65 acres of land adjoining the existing course was purchased, allowing Brynhill to embark upon a major course development.

Work began in April 1994.

Golf course design consultants Dave Thomas Ltd were appointed to design the new layout.

After several years of development, the course was finally completed in the summer of 1998.

The result is the challenging parkland golf course members and visitors enjoy today.

It represented another major step forward for Brynhill — transforming the club while retaining the character and history that had developed since 1921.

Five Professional Golfers Produced by Brynhill

Since 1990, Brynhill Golf Club has produced an impressive five professional golfers.

For one golf club, that is a remarkable record.

Stephen Dodd

Among the most successful is Stephen Dodd.

A two-time European Tour winner, World Cup winner and Senior Open Champion, Dodd has enjoyed an outstanding professional career and remains one of Brynhill’s greatest golfing success stories.

Calvin O’Carroll

Calvin O’Carroll captured the prestigious British Boys Championship before going on to enjoy an illustrious teaching career at La Manga Golf Club.

Kyron Sullivan

Kyron Sullivan earned European Tour status and recorded a victory on the Challenge Tour, continuing Brynhill’s tradition of producing golfers capable of succeeding at elite level.

Iestyn Taylor

Iestyn Taylor made headlines by qualifying for The Open Championship while still an amateur — a remarkable achievement and another proud moment for the club.

Leon Warne

Today, Leon Warne continues Brynhill’s professional golfing tradition as the club’s PGA Professional, providing coaching, professional support and expertise to the current generation of Brynhill golfers.

Remarkably, Brynhill’s successful golfing alumni continue to maintain close links with the club, remaining honorary and participating members.

That connection between past, present and future is something of which Brynhill is enormously proud.

More Than 100 Years of Brynhill

The Brynhill of today is very different from the golf club founded in 1921.

The borrowed shed has gone.

The sheep no longer share the fairways.

The First World War army huts have been replaced by modern clubhouse facilities.

The course has expanded and evolved.

But there is still a clear thread connecting today’s club with the men and women who created Brynhill more than a century ago.

It is a story of volunteers rolling up their sleeves to build greens by hand.

Of a £3 annual land rental.

Of Ted Ray marking out the original course.

Of David Rees becoming the first Club Professional.

Of Welsh golf potentially appearing on cinema screens for the first time.

Of Dai Rees and Ryder Cup glory.

Of John Collins dedicating decades to junior golf.

Of Bob Hope opening the clubhouse.

Of Brynhill golfers going on to compete at the very highest levels of the game.

And, most importantly, it is a story that is still being written.

Proud of Our History. Building Our Future.

Today Brynhill Golf Club can proudly boast a challenging parkland golf course, modern clubhouse facilities and thriving Men’s, Ladies’, Junior and social sections.

Yet the ambition remains much the same as it was when that first meeting took place at Barry YMCA on 9 February 1921:

to provide Barry and the wider community with a golf club they can be proud to call their own.

More than a century later, Brynhill continues to move forward — respecting its heritage while building for the generations of golfers still to come.

Brynhill Golf Club. Established 1921. Proud of our history. Building our future.