Groups

The Cardinal bunker at Sandy Lodge GC.

St Boswells Golf Club - 9 Hole course on the banks of the River Tweed

The Aerofilms collection has many great images of sporting venues and golf courses are no exception. Viewed from above, the layout and scale of the courses can clearly be seen, sitting in the landscape near towns, in the countryside or on the coast.



The Golf Courses group already includes some fantastic images of courses of all sorts from across Britain, including fascinating information added by website users. To celebrate the 2014 Ryder Cup, which takes place at Gleneagles in September, we’d like to highlight this group and see how many more can be added, and what stories and memories people could share.



Could you add details of a golf course in an Aerofilms image and how it has changed over the years? Is there an image of the site of your most memorable round? Does anyone have images of golf courses ‘from the ground’ to add? We’re looking forward to seeing what you find!



(Thanks to website user royalfixit, who has added so many great images to the Golf Courses group.)

Littlehampton can claim to be the fifth course in Sussex, opened in 1889 and it also had an unusual, if not unique feature. The only direct route from Littlehampton Town to the Club Room and first tee was by ferry across the River Arun. This remained the sole access route until Henry, 15th Duke of Norfolk, opened the Swing Bridge on 7th August 1908. During 1893 it was decided to turn the 9 hole course into 18 holes, which were subsequently lengthened and the bunkering “tightened up” by Messrs Hawtree and JH Taylor Ltd.

Created in 1908 by eminent golf architect Harry Colt, the Stoke Park course has been the inspiration for many of the world’s most famous holes, including Augusta’s infamous 16th.



The course itself has seen many impressive rounds in its prestigious history, including the first PGA Matchplay tournament in 1910 and James Bond's epic golfing duel in the 1964 classic 007 movie 'Goldfinger'.



Now a 27 hole Championship golf course.

Mr. James Francis Markes, a mining engineer by profession, on 8th August 1908 to be precise, found extensive deposits of sand in the Northwood area. Mr. Markes called in his close friend Harry Vardon, the great old professional who won the Open Championship six times. Together they pegged out the first holes on 5th November 1909. The official opening of the course took place on l6th July 1910. An exhibition match was played between Harry Vardon and James Braid.

The original 18 hole course was redesigned by the famous Willie Park and a plan of the course (dated 1912) is displayed in the Hall Bar. James Braid changed the original 15th - 18th layout in 1922 to provide extra length. Minor changes were introduced by Messrs Hawtree & Taylor in 1933. In 1972 the high equinox spring tides undermined the sand hills and gale force winds regularly blew the loosened sand across the 8th green. New holes at 7, 8 & 9 were designed by Donald Steel of Frank Pennick & Partners, and a new 10th Tee playing to the existing 10th Green turned this into a short hole. These holes came into play in the early 80's and were used for the 1984 Amateur Championship.

Set amidst 300 acres of mature woodland and finest Hertfordshire parkland, Moor Park features not one but two championship golf courses. Designed by Harry Colt in 1923 to blend into the grounds of the estate, the courses combine challenging golf holes. The High Course plays host annually to the Hertfordshire Stag, as well as regularly welcoming such events as the Carris Trophy, County Championship and English Seniors Open.

In 1890 Lord Windsor - who subsequently (in 1905) was created Earl of Plymouth - gifted the plot of land in Lower Penarth and the Club was founded initially as a nine hole course.



The Club undertook an expansion programme to the full eighteen hole course during 1896 and the following year, enabling the 1897 Welsh Amateur Championship to take place in Penarth for the first time

Gleneagles. Host to the 2014 Ryder Cup and the scene, in 1921, of the first ever international golf match played between Great Britain and The USA. Full story here: http://bit.ly/1m7SFu2

This shows Didsbury Golf Club. Withington (not Worthington - as previously noted) is across the other side of the river.

Leeds Castle Golf Course - constructed in the early 1930's at the request of Lady Baillie the then owner of Leeds Castle. The course was designed by Sir Guy Campbell. A few changes have taken place but holes 2, 3,4 and 5 are originals. The US Ryder Cup team stayed at Leeds Castle in preparation for the matches in Southport and Ainsdale. Many famous golfers have walked these famed links.

Much has been developed around the course since 1928

North Berwick West Links golf Course.

North Berwick Golf Club was founded in 1832.

Rhos-on-Sea Golf Club on the spectacular region of the North Wales coast. Established in 1899.

Chingford Golf Club is the oldest course in Essex, dating back to 1886 and believed to be designed by James Braid. Royal Epping Forest Golf Club was founded in 1888.

This is a public course, situated on common land, which has been managed by the Corporation of London for over 120 years.

In line with a requirement going back into the nineteenth century, golfers on this course and other courses owned by the Corporation must wear red. The Pro Shops offer plenty of choice in red golfing wear!

Prestwick Golf Club was founded in 1851 by a group of 57 members who met at the Red Lion Inn. Tom Morris with his wife Agnes and son young Tommy was brought to Prestwick from St. Andrews, to be the Keeper of the Green, Ball and Club Maker. Prestwick staged the first Open Championship in 1860, which was won by Willie Park.

Lochmaben Golf Club was founded in 1926 (note just 3 years before the photo) and the original 9 holes were designed by James Braid, the five times Open Champion. It was not until 1956 that the greens were fenced off to keep the sheep off them!

Members had long nurtured a dream of extending the course to 18 holes. This was finally achieved with the official opening of the new course in 1995.

Royal Troon Golf Course - established 1878

The first official golf club was founded in 1842, playing over ten holes. Old Tom Morris extended the links to 18 holes in 1857 and the last major revision was undertaken by James Braid in 1926.

Golf was first introduced to Woodhall Spa in 1890. However, the course had to be moved and in 1902 local landowner and prominent member, Stafford Vere Hotchkin, offered a sandy tract of land for the building of an 18 hole course (this is the site where the course remains today). Harry Vardon was employed to design the course and he visited Woodhall Spa on 24th January 1903. The course was formally opened for play on 24th April 1905.

I have played here for the last eight years - the best inland links course in the UK !

Archibald Kennedy, the Third Marquess of Ailsa, owned Turnberry's 76,000 acres. It wasn't until 1896 that Lord Ailsa, a keen golfer and an active member of the South-Western Railway board, saw the financial opportunity of building a course at Turnberry and a train line from Ayr to Maidens, Turnberry and Girvan.

Muirfield is the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, founded in 1744.

The course was completed in 1891 and the Clubhouse was built at a cost of £1,574.

The Gleneagles Hotel's Grand Opening Gala was on 7 June 1924. However,the King's and Queen's courses, created out of a wilderness using manual labour, pick and shovel, horse and cart, were ready much earlier than the hotel and began to make their name between 1918 and 1924.

A beautiful setting for a golf course.

In 1902 the "New Manor Golf Club Ashford Company" was formed.

The course was laid out in 1904 and is a superb mature, hilly parkland course. Note further plantings have taken place since 1920. Highgate Golf Club, the closest 18 hole course to central London, is one of 'golf in the city's' best kept secrets. Note the clubhouse, rebuilt recently is still on the original site.

I was fortunate to play there in 2011.

The Club was formed in 1891 with only nine holes. Subsequently, further land was leased in 1895 and the original nine holes abandoned when the clubhouse and 18 holes were built. The club received its greatest honour in 1909, when it was bestowed the rare privilege to use the prefix “Royal”

The Royal Cromer Golf Club was founded in 1888 and immediately attained royal status through the patronage of the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII.

The Grand Hotel was built in 1889. Of course, due to the continual erosion, much of the original golf course has been lost to the sea and the course extended on land to the west.

St Andrews -the home of golf