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Tonbridge Golf Club, Kent. (1893 - 1950s)
Founded in 1893.
The first Tonbridge Golf Club course was of nine-holes and was located between Tonbridge and Hildenborough.
The club moved in about 1910 to a course on the Greentrees Park Estate between Tonbridge and Hadlow. The Greentrees Park Estate was sold following WW1 the club then moved to Somerhill Park.
Results of competitions played over Christmas 1893.
"Golf" Friday 5 January 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Result of a ladies' match played at Tonbridge against Lamberhurst in May 1894.
| Tonbridge Ladies' Golf Club | Lamberhurst Ladies' Golf Club | ||
| Miss Le Fleming | 2 | Miss Lewin | 0 |
| Miss A Le Fleming | 5 | Miss Marchant | 0 |
| Miss Beeching | 0 | Miss J Woodgate | 0 |
| Miss Prissick | 4 | Miss Harris | 0 |
| 11 | 0 |
Result of a match against Wildernesse Golf Club in December 1894.
"Golf" Friday 4 January 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Below is a result of a match played on the East Hill Links of the Hastings Golf Club (now defunct) in May 1895.
| Hastings Golf Club | Tonbridge Golf Club | ||
| A R Inskipp | 4 | R C M Kitto | 0 |
| M Makalua | 0 | L O Burns | 5 |
| E Harris | 0 | J Kennington | 5 |
| W J Harris | 0 | J Le Fleming | 5 |
| R G Frith | 6 | G F Lloyd | 0 |
| J H Escolme | 3 | Rev. A Lucas | 0 |
| R W Smith | 1 | W J N Griffith | 0 |
| C J Oakeley | 0 | C W Carless | 2 |
| 14 | 17 |
Result of the December 1895 monthly medal.
From the Field Saturday 28 December 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Competition result from May 1896.
Tonbridge Free Press Saturday 9 May 1896.
Result of a match played on the Galley Hill Course at Bexhill (now defunct) in April 1897
| Bexhill-on-Sea Golf Club | Tonbridge Golf Club | ||
| J H Escolme | 0 | C Kitto | 4 |
| J B Escolme | 3 | E K Le Fleming | 0 |
| L E Blackburne (halved) | 0 | L S Le Fleming (halved) | 0 |
| H McDougall | 4 | J D Le Fleming | 0 |
| Dr. G Garrod | 0 | S Kennington | 2 |
| A E MacDonnell | 0 | L B Burns | 1 |
| A McGregor | 3 | E G Parton | 0 |
| C G Graham | 2 | C W Carless | 0 |
| 12 | 7 |
From the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Membership of 80; hon. secretary - C Kennington, "Merrifield," Tonbridge; captain, W H Anstie; green-keeper, A Sadds; entrance fee £1/1s, ladies 10s/6d; subs £1/11s/6d, ladies 15s/6d; visitors introduced by members, 1s.
In 1906/7/8 the secretary was Captain T C Grainger, Airlie House, Tonbridge. The captain was L J Le Fleming jnr, green-keeper G Sudds. Course record L J LeFleming. Club membership of 80.
On Saturday 23 February 1907 Mr W M Gordon won the bogey competition with a score of 4down. In the ladies’ competition played on the 26th Mrs Stokoe won with a score of 2up.
Result of the Bent Challenge Cup (scratch) played on Saturday 2 March 1907; H C Stewart, 77 scratch; G Ashmore, 80-6-74; J LeFleming jnr, 83-5-77. There were nine entries.
By 1911/12 the club had moved to the new site at Greentree Park. The secretary in 1911 was G Sylvester and the green-keeper J Coleman. In 1912 the secretary was M G Dukes there was a membership 110 with 70 lady members.
In 1913/4 the secretary at Tonbridge Golf Club, Greentree Park was M G Dukes, Yardley Park, Tonbridge and the green-keeper J Coleman. There was a membership of 192. Entry fees for gents were £2/2/0 and ladies £1/1/0. Subs for gents £2/2/0 and ladies £1/1/0. Visitors’ fees on introduction were 2/- a day, 8/- a week and 20/- a month, Ladies 1/6, 6/-, 15/- respectively. There was no Sunday play. The station, South Eastern Railway, was 1 ¾ miles away.
The Thirteenth Hole on the Somerhill Park course.
During the 1920s the club moved to Somerhill Park. The course opened on Saturday 19 June 1920 with an exhibition foursome match between F Bailey (Tonbridge) and A R Baker (Limpsfield) against S Humphries (Tunbridge Wells) and B F James (Culverden) there were 11 holes playable for the match. The President was Mr O E d’Avigdor-Goldsmid. The secretary at this time was B G Lloyd, “Ariston” The Drive, Tonbridge the professional was F Bailey. It was listed as a 14 hole course with a membership of 200. Visitors’ fees on introduction were 2/6 a day, 10/- a week, 25/- a month.
The Ordnance Survey Map below shows the golf course on Somerhill Park.
O.S. Map Revised 1938; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1946}.
The monthly bogey was played on 24 July 1920 and was won by Dr H A Andrews.
On Tuesday 27 July 27 1920 F Bailey, the club professional, playing with Dr Newton, broke his previous course record of 74, score as follows; 5,4,5,3,4,3,4,3,4 = 35 – 3,5,5,3,5,4,4,4,4 = 37 total 72.
A notable scratch golfer at Tonbridge during this period was G C Stokoe who won the Vice Captains prize at Royal St Davids, Harlech in 1923 with a score of 5 up on bogey.
From 1926 it was listed as Tonbridge Golf Club, Somerhill Park. It was now an 18-hole course with Sunday play allowed. Fees in the early thirties were 3/6 a day, 10/- a week and 25/- a month. The station at Tonbridge was ¾ mile away. All other information as before.
Below is the result of a match played between Tonbridge Golf Cluband the Tonbridge Artisans Club on Saturday 5 July 1930.
| Tonbridge Golf Club | Tonbridge Artisans Club | ||
| S Stevens | 0 | E Burley (4&2) | 1 |
| E S Reeve (3&1) | 1 | E Parks | 0 |
| R Salt (1up) | 1 | A Field | 0 |
| C B Smith (half) | 0 | C Langridge (half) | 0 |
| A W Johnstone (6&5) | 1 | G Thomas | 0 |
| C Page (3&1) | 1 | F Gurr | 0 |
| H E Hall (9&8) | 1 | B Chalklin | 0 |
| S T Bridge (6&5) | 1 | B Saunders | 0 |
| D H Dabbs | 0 | J Hyder (1up) | 1 |
| J B Williams | 0 | F Sturt (2&1) | 1 |
| S Stevens & C Basden | 1 | E Burley & C Langridge | 0 |
| E S Reeves & C Page | 1 | E Parks & F Gurr | 0 |
| S T Bridge & J B Williams | 1 | B Chalklin & B Saunders | 0 |
| R Salt & A W Johnstone | 1 | G Thomas & A Field | 0 |
| H E Hall & D H Dabbs | 1 | J Hyder & F Sturt | 0 |
| 11 | 3 |
In the final of the Floyd Bowl played in July 1930 H J Fitzgerald beat D H Dabbs by 1up.
Tonbridge visited by Maidstone Golf Club in May 1934.
Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser Friday 25 May 1934. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
| Tonbridge Golf Club | Maidstone Golf Club | ||
| H N Brooks and S Knowles (2 and 1) | 1 | J C Clark (captain) and A C Davis | 0 |
| D H Dabbs (captain) and H J Fitzgerald 5 and 4) | 1 | J Lovett and D W Carter | 0 |
| T W J Noel-Thomas and K T Gemmell (halved) | 0 | J Patterson and W Pafford (halved) | 0 |
| S T Bridge and A W Johnston (2 and 1) | 1 | D C Seidle and H E Wandland | 0 |
| 3 | 0 |
Result of a ladies' match played at Woodlands Manor Golf Club (now defunct) in July 1934.
| Woodlands Manor Ladies' Golf Club | Tonbridge Ladies' Golf Club | ||
| Miss Dew | 1 | Mrs Bunce | 0 |
| Miss Brader | 1 | Mrs Collyns | 0 |
| Miss Jones | 1 | Mrs Bousfield | 0 |
| Mrs Umbers | 1 | Mrs Swayne | 0 |
| Mrs Hudson | 1 | Miss Warren | 0 |
| Mrs White | 0 | Mrs Boyne | 1 |
Result of a match played on the Spa course at Tunbridge Wells in September 1935.
| Tunbridge Wells Golf Club | Tonbridge Golf Club | ||
| E T Morris (halved) | 0 | T W Noel Thomas (halved) | 0 |
| C J Skinner (6 and 5) | 1 | S T Bridge | 0 |
| S Knight (6 and 4) | 1 | A W Johnston | 0 |
| A Fletcher (5 and 3) | 1 | E A Markham | 0 |
| C R G Mitchell | 0 | S Foster (5 and 4) | 1 |
| F P H Daly | 0 | J L Webb (2 and 1) | 1 |
| F H Gilles (4 and 3) | 1 | R J Mortlock | 0 |
| L Wagstaff (4 and 3) | 1 | R E Jenkins | 0 |
| L Baker (4 and 3) | 1 | W Lawrence Bradley | 0 |
| 6 | 2 |
Results from May 1937; The Floyd Challenge Bowl - E A Markham beat K de G Duke by 2 up; Lucas Iron - E A Markham beat E E Weekes by 3 and 1.
Below is the result of a match played at Hastings Downs Golf Club (now defunct) against Tonbridge Golf Club on Sunday 18 July 1937.
| Hastings Downs Golf Club | Tonbridge Golf Club | ||
| A Winter (2&1) | 1 | T W J Noel-Thomas | 0 |
| T A McNab (half) | 0 | D H Dabbs (half) | 0 |
| E Tindall (4&3) | 1 | E A Markham | 0 |
| J C Hubble (5&4) | 1 | C A Were | 0 |
| T Leonard (5&4) | 1 | A W Johnstone | 0 |
| L C James (5&3) | 1 | S Foster | 0 |
| T Rhodes | 0 | E S Reeve (2&1) | 1 |
| J J Murphy (2&1) | 1 | C H Page | 0 |
| Winter & McNab (half) | 0 | Noel-Thomas & Dabbs (half) | 0 |
| Leonard & Tindall (5&4) | 1 | Markham & Johnstone | 0 |
| James & Hubble (2&1) | 1 | Were & Foster | 0 |
| Bennett & Murphy (half) | 0 | Reeve & Page (half) | 0 |
| 8 | 2 |
At the annual general meeting held at the Castle, Tonbridge, on Saturday 28 September 1938, it was recommended by the committee to reduce the subscriptions to £3/3s/0d for men and £2/10/0 for ladies. Mr W Rolfe Nottage was in the chair. The committee in their report stated that the drastic economies effected by the closing of the lower part of the course and the clubhouse had confined play to the top nine-holes. This had resulted in the revenue and expenditure account showing a balance in hand of £106/5s/2d in contrast to a debit balance last season of £97/18/10.
Below, result of a match played at Nevill Golf Club on Saturday 18 March 1939.
| Nevill Golf Club | Tonbridge Golf Club | ||
| H G Wallis (4&3) | 1 | E C Bonsfield | 0 |
| G T Dean | 0 | D H Dabbs (3&2) | 1 |
| C Basden Smith (7&5) | 1 | H Cogger | 0 |
| H S G Ralling (2up) | 1 | A W Johnston | 0 |
| W Brown (half) | 0 | C J Morgan (half) | 0 |
| Col Boileau (6&4) | 1 | J F Macdonald | 0 |
| L J Robinson (3&2) | 1 | L Giles | 0 |
| Commander Hake (6&5) | 1 | C (T) H Page | 0 |
| 6 | 1 |
The Kent Playing Fields Cup Competition played on 25 March 1939 and was won by J E S Giles. The monthly spoon was won by T (C) H Gage.
Result of a ladies match played at Tonbridge against Culverden on Thursday 18 May 1939.
| Tonbridge Golf Club | Culverden Golf Club | ||
| Miss Keane (4&3) | 1 | Mrs D Basden-Smith | 0 |
| Mrs Gardner (7&5) | 1 | Miss Scott | 0 |
| Miss Sharp (half) | 0 | Mrs Soulby (half) | 0 |
| Mrs Bunce (half) | 0 | Miss Williamson (half) | 0 |
| Mrs Jones | 0 | Mrs Stoakes (4&3) | 1 |
| Mrs Barnes | 0 | Mrs Hayward (6&4) | 1 |
| Mrs Poile (half) | 0 | Mrs McLeod (half) | 0 |
| 2 | 2 |
From about 1938 to the clubs disappearance in the early 1950s the secretary was P E Bousfield, “Yorke” Hadlow Road, Tonbridge the professional was the long serving F Bailey. 18 holes with a SSS of 70. Membership had dropped to 140 in 1938, reducing to 120 by closure. There is evidence that the course could have been reduced to 9-holes following WW2. Visitors’ fees 2/- a round, 2/6 a day, 10/- a week, 25/- a month Sunday play was allowed and the club was licensed. The station was now 2 miles away. Local hotel was the Rose & Crown.
Location of the first Tonbridge course between Hildenborough and Tonbridge.Grid reference TQ58345,48620, co-ordinates 558345,148620.
Tonbridge course at Somerhill Park.
Grid reference TQ60210,45240, co-ordinates 560210,145240.