Golf has been played at Felixstowe for over 120 years, but it was in 1880 that the club was formed. The oldest recorded event is reproduced below.
Felixstowe Golf Club
The opening matches of the Felixstowe Golf Club will take place at the East End (Bawdsey Ferry), on Saturday, October 30th, at ten o'clock, when Lord Elcho and several well-known Golfers are expected to play.
Colonel Tomline, of Orwell Park, has kindly consented to act a Patron of the Club, and Lieut-Col. Lloyd-Anstruther, of Hintlesham, as Chairman of the Committee.
Links for matches have been laid out at Bawdsey, and there will also be practical links immediately opposite the Railway Station at Felixstowe.
I shall be glad to enroll your name as one of the original members of the Club.
Yours faithfully,
Fred. W. Wilson, Hon.Sec. pro tem.
Ipswich, October 22nd, 1880.
N.B. Subscriptions of original members 5s.
Introduction
The game of golf undoubtedly had its origin in Scotland during the Middle Ages, and gradually has spread all over the world as the Scots themselves have taken it with them. Dr. Samuel Johnson in his Dictionary baldly described golf as "a game played with a ball and a club or bat."
In 1608 a seven hole course was laid out at Blackheath for the diversion of some of the Scottish courtiers of King James 1st. The club itself was formed in 1764 and, no doubt under Scottish influence, was followed by Calcutta (1829). Bombay (l842), Westward Ho (1864), the London Scottish in Wimbledon (1865), and Hoylake (1869). These were closely followed by Adelaide (187O), Montreal (1873), Quebec (1874), and Jersey (1878). Some of these clubs later earned the prefix Royal.
The golfers of Wimbledon and Blackheath wishing to play outside London on links had either to travel to Scotland, or to Westward Ho or Hoylake in England, until the Felixstowe club was formed in 1880. This was a very important event in what has now become one of the most popular participative games in the world.
Today there are over 2000 golf clubs in the British Isles, of which about 1200 are in England. In 1880 there were 5, in 1886 there were 40, and in 1906 there were 500. Felixstowe can proudly claim to have been in the van of this popular movement, and it is no accident that Felixstowe should have been the fifth club to have been formed in England outside Scotland or its immediate sphere of influence.
"Of the many good courses in East Anglia I have the tenderest and most sentimental association with Felixstowe, because it was there, in 1884, that I began to play golf."
Bernard Darwin - Golf Courses of the British Isles (1910).
"Give me my tools, my golf clubs and leisure, and I would ask for nothing more. My ideal in life is to read a lot, write a little, play plenty of golf, and have nothing to worry about"
(Rt. Hon. A.J. Balfour - later Earl Balfour).
Captain - Felixstowe 1889
Captain - R and A 1894
Prime Minister 1902 - 1905
THE BEGINNING
1874. Colonel Jelf Sharp, Master of the Suffolk and Essex Foxhounds, and a member of the Blackheath Club, played golf on Langer Common as early as 1874. He cut holes near Landguard Fort and later laid down links between the Fort and the Ordnance Hotel, and he was joined by friends from Blackheath and matches were played. In 1879 Scottish officers, serving on board the Harwich Harbour guardship H.M.S. Penelope also played, and a most important recruit to the game was Mr F.W. Wilson, the proprietor and founder in 1874 of the East Anglian Daily Times"
1875. Lord Elcho M.P. was president of the London Scottish Golf at Wimbledon, and a frequent guest of Colonel Tomline at Orwell Park for what was considered to be the best partridge shooting in the world. He observed the natural capacity of the land at East End for golf, and had on a number of occasions from 1875 played a few holes there, In the spring of 1880, he was accompanied by General Lee Hope Grant of India fame, and Tom Dunn the Wimbledon professional, and went down to the Deben side, laid out a golf course, and played with the enthusiasm of a discoverer. Lord Elcho was then sixty-two years of age.
1880. Tom Dunn's favourable report on the character of the ground, and the enthusiasm of Lord Elcho soon spread to the Wimbledon Club, and at Whitsuntide 1880, the brothers Frank and Alexander Crawford went down to Bawdsey Ferry and enjoyed a game over the close-cropped turf. They were followed on the August Bank Holiday by a party from London Scottish Golf Club. They cut nine holes, and played for a Challenge Gold Medal, which was won by Mr G.F. Muir who, in company with his associates, presented the trophy to the Felixstowe Golf Club on its formation a few weeks later. Thus the 'Bawdsey Challenge Gold Medal' became the first of the club's valuable trophies, although it was originally referred to as the Wimbledon gold Medal as the donors were all members of that club.
The inaugural competition held on Saturday 30th October (see above) which was won by John Kerr. The Club was formed at the dinner which followed at the Bath Hotel.
EARLY DAYS
It is difficult to realise, when one looks at the derelict town railway station, that 100 years ago the founding of the Ferry golf Club and the rapid growth of the town from tinder one thousand inhabitants to some twenty thousand today was, in the first place, made possible by Colonel Tomline's railway. His vision and endeavour enabled a direct link to be made from Ipswich to London and growth was rapid. There can be little doubt that Lord Elcho made the point that the establishment of a golf course would powerfully aid the growth of Felixstowe. Early on the club introduced a rule limiting membership to four hundred. It is possible that the first twenty years of the life of the club was the time of its greatest prosperity. An earlier illustrated guide to Felixstowe by Pr. J.F. Taylor (1895) has the following passage
"The Felixstowe Club is one of the best in the kingdom, and numbers several hundred members, many of them men eminent in art, science and literature, who usually bring their families to stay in Felixstowe, whilst they enjoy the healthy relaxation and exercise of golfing. In summer (and even on fine days in winter) the Golf Links are quite lively, for the green is plentifully sprinkled with golfers in playing uniform."
At the inaugural meeting it was resolved that the St. Andrew's Rules of Golf be adopted. This was eight years before the Royal and Ancient Club circulated the rules to all golf clubs in the world.
It was very early on decided that the course should be of eighteen holes. As membership increased so did congestion and it was decided that the course was too dangerous and was reduced to fifteen holes., with the 5th, 6th and 7th being played twice. Very soon the number was further reduced to eleven, and then inevitably to nine holes. It was as such that it earned the title of 'the best nine hole golf green in the world', and so it remained until the outbreak of the war in 1914.
Lord Elcho used his considerable influence at the War Office to obtain the use of the 'T' Martello Tower and the guard-room as a club house and it remained so until 1884, and Colonel Tomline, being the owner of the land upon which the links were laid out, agreed to the cutting of bunkers.
It was then that Fast End House became vacant when Mr. John Baxter-Cordy moved out and Colonel Tomline offered the house as a clubhouse, which it is today.
1880. Willie Fernie appointed Greenkeeper/Professional at a salary of £1 per week. Willie was the Open champion.
1894. Ladies section formed
BETWEEN THE WARS
1914. Course closed for the Great War.
An article in the East Anglian daily Times on 6th October 1914 referred to the distinguished past of the club and its position as the finest nine hole links in the world. From a place of pleasure, Felixstowe has now become a place of arms, strongly held by soldiers of various degrees, mainly from Kitchener's Army. The need for these soldiers to learn the basic skill with the rifle was the reason for building of ranges over the course.
1920. Course reconstructed under the supervision of John Braid and a further 9 holes added. The clubhouse was refurbished after being used as a barracks during the war.
1931. The freehold of the land was purchased and the Club reverted to being a members' club. The Ladies first play for a cup presented by Miss Joan Snell called the Bogey Competition.
1939. The Club was sold to Mr Herbert Garrett of Ware Park in Hertfordshire after running into financial difficulties.
1939. The course was closed due to the war. It was devastated due to becoming part of the coastal defence system against invasion.
AFTER THE WAR
1946. The "course" purchased by Mr Walter Cross to enable the club to be reformed. Henry Cotton and Sir Guy Campbell given the stupendous task of reconstruction.
1948. The Club is re-established. By May 1948 enough progress had been made for an open meeting to be held at the Conservative Club in order to re-establish the club on the proposal of Mr Cross. The chair was taken by Mr W.H. Mulley, one of the trustees appointed by the proprietor, and a large number of enthusiastic people were present. a steering committee was formed and at subsequent meeting of interested potential members a start was made. The club was now to be called the Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club, subscriptions were fixed at the very modest level of two guineas for gentlemen and one-and-a-half guineas for ladies, a management committee was elected, and rangers were employed at weekends to see that no damage was done by intruders.
1949. Official opening was performed by the twice Open champion, Henry Cotton.
1987. Miss Julie Wade, Club Member, wins the English Stoke Play and follows this by winning the English Championship in 1988. She is subsequently elected Captain of England Golf team and plays a successful role in the Curtis Cup.
1991. Opening of the extensive Practice Ground
1996. Opening of the Kingsfleet 9 hole course, designed and constructed by the Club.
1999. Construction of the new Greenkeepers' quarters
2000. Millennium celebrations held to commemorate 120 years of golf at Felixstowe Ferry.
2011. Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club is moving into a new era......
Changes in the Club’s Constitution – at the recent AGM the Club incorporated as a Company limited by Guarantee, which limited the liability of individual members and Club Officers to just £1.00.
With the sound advice and guidance of Birketts, our Solicitors, we prepared Articles of Association, installed the Members of the Executive Committee as the Club’s Board of Directors with appropriate Letters of Appointment, transferred assets to the limited company with no liability for Capital Gains Tax or Stamp Duty, and issued Membership Certificates to Club Members.
It was agreed by Club members that the responsibility of sporting and social activities would remain with the Club Captain, but that for Finance, Marketing and the management of the Courses and Clubhouse this would become the role of the newly elected Executive committee.
The benefit of these changes is a Captain who is able to concentrate solely on being the Club’s golfing Ambassador for our Members, visitors and guests, an Executive Committee elected on the basis of their ability to deliver what is required, and Members and Officers with minimal liability in an increasingly litigious world.
Chris Pearson will stay in office until the General Meeting in November when the Club will elect it's new Captains and Vice Captains.