The current Club House was built some time between 1874 and 1898, as is evident if you look at the two OS maps below which were surveyed in those two years (I've added a third 1975 map for added comparison).
It was, however, built on the site of a much earlier structure, an old summer house built in the 17th century, that, as you rightly say, was supposed to commemorate the fact that the Hall did once change hands during a game of cards. The summer house is clearly shown on the Kingston estate survey of 1665 (now in the hands of the Vyner family) - I'll try and get a decent copy of that to post.
Is that some sort of foot-bridge going acrros Boundary Road to the clubhouse?? Interesting.
my told me about a bridge up there, and said there used to be ale house by bridge too ? something rose /rose something, i said to him no way dad ild know about it if there was, ooops. well there was said my i remember taking coal to it.
wait it's a clubhouse? i always thought it was some private mansion house or villa.
It is a private house - or rather it's divided into three houses now, as Kimpri1 mentioned earlier & as is shown on the 1975 map. Club House is just its name not its purpose...
Anyway, as I promised, here are some pics of the 1665 Bidston Hall Estate Survey: these clearly show the original club-shaped building (labelled 'the Club') to the rear of the Hall, adjoining an area marked as a 'Bowleing greene'. The Club was probably built as a belvedere or gazebo giving panoramic views over Wirral from the top of the hill.
I've also included a couple of close-ups of the pictures at the top of the survey, which show what the Hall and Club House looked like in the 17th century.
The pics comes from a large tome currently in the possession of the Vyner Estate Office in Chester, which contains a survey of lands belonging to the Manor of Bidston drawn up by Thomas Taylor in 1656 & 1665. The maps cover manorial lands in Bidston, Moreton, Saughall Massie, Poulton-cum-Seacombe, Wallasey, Thingwall, Poulton Lancelyn & Childer Thornton.
Some of the maps do have drawings of buildings such as churches & windmills on them, but they are only tiny stylised representations. The one of Bidston Hall is the only one that shows any great detail.
Wirral Archives have a set of large colour photocopies of the maps @ Ref YPX/90, but they are a bit fuzzy in places, presumably because it was difficult to get the original maps completely flat against the glass of the copier
![[Linked Image]](http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9940/334766523006ccdm3.jpg)
Please do not adjust your mind, there is a slight problem with reality
but I'm not sure that you will be able to handle it tho 
told me about a bridge up there, and said there used to be ale house by bridge too 
? something rose /rose something, i said to him no way dad ild know about it if there was, ooops.
