In 1964, he opened another area of the farm for camping and this proved to be extremely popular. In 1968, Mr Hartley created an 18-hole pitch and putt course so the campers would have something to do on site during their stay. Prior to this he had created a putting green in front of where the current golf club shop/bar is situated.
Mr Hartley cut out the greens and the fairways (which were much narrower that the current ones) with a hand held fly-mo. The course not only proved to be an outstanding success with the campers, but also the locals.
As the pitch & putt success had exceeded everyone’s expectations Mr Hartley decided, in 1974, to build a 9-hole par 3 golf course. The land used had a naturally good drainage system. Its prime use was for barley crops and the grazing of over 200 breeding yews which produced spring lambs.
The humps and bumps which are clearly visible on the current course were made from building waste of a demolished old people’s home in Newquay which gave way to a more modern building on the Whim. The debris was delivered in 8 wheeled lorries and contained what seemed thousands of old bottles, old Esso engine oil tubes etc. As with the pitch and putt the golf course was also a resounding success. In 1976 the course was extended to become an 18-hole golf course.
The current golf course was redesigned in 2002. Recent aerial photographs show that the newly developed holes 3, 4 and 5 are on top of some ancient burial grounds and Mr Hartley (Jnr) has a document which charts the history of this land.
