Kings Norton (Red & Blue)

Kings Norton Golf Club is established in 1892. a nine-hole course was put to play at Wyehall Farms, the New House and Wyehall Farms created by David Brown, The Worcestershire professional winner of the Open championship in Musselburgh six years before.

The decision was taken in the latter half of 1960 to sell the club the club to Birmingham Corporation and move to the new location of 27 holes in Weatheroak Hall. Peter Ricketts takes up the details in this edited excerpt from the book The Road through Weatheroak: Kings Norton Golf Club 1892-1992:

"Work was moving in a timely manner in the building of the golf course. The three loops that comprise nine holes, with each one beginning and finishing near the hall and the hall, have proven to be a fantastic layout and a huge thanks to the course's the architect Fred Hawtree.

A tiny chap with a weathered complexion as well as steel-blue eyes and gaited legs He was a well-known image as he traveled over the landscape, creating the golf holes of the past that are a delight for golfers today.

He utilised all of the beneficial traits and there were plenty of them - to maximum benefit and only helped Mother Nature along where necessary. The result was an absolute success. Golf on a grand size, with wide fairways big greens that sweep across the course, guarded by intimidating bunkers and difficult water hazards.

It was not a simple matter of cutting meadows and planting greens. To attain the best standard, all 220 acres of land was ploughed then drained, harrowed and planted. In the mix were the equivalent of 6,000 tonnes of sand 5 tons of gravel, 400 ton of peat as well as 12 miles of drain pipes.

The greens at 27 were given the treatment of a star. There was no expense spared. Layer by layer, they every time a layer was built up: stones, gravel and sand, ashes, loam, peat - all laid on a good drainage. And, of course, the most beautiful seeds obviously. The most recent electronic irrigation system was installed for a price of PS15,000.

Little by little Weatheroak was able to emerge from its in-tact state and by the end of June 1971, it was in good enough form to hold its formal opening. It was in the form of an Pro-Am featuring some of the most renowned professionals of the time such as Maurice Bembridge, Dale Hayes and Angel Gallardo among them - along with the top Midland amateurs and notable personalities like Henry Cooper and Douglas Bader."

In the present, there's the par three course of 10 holes open for practice games and further miles of drainage constructed at the beginning of this millennium will ensure the three nines are available for use all year round. The original putting surface was constructed to a standard so high that greens for temporary use are not required here.

The 18-hole course, which includes nines that are Red Nines of Blue and Red is known as "Weatheroak," with the Red and Yellow combination dubbed "Wythall" as well as"Brockhill," the Yellow as well as Blue 9s are referred to under the title "Brockhill".