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Royal Blackheath Golf Club, Blackheath Common. (1608 - 1923)
Founded in 1608. The history of the club is well documented on the clubs website.
Originally a 5-hole course, later extended to seven-holes.
Unique hazards on the Blackheath course - "The course at Blackheath is one of seven-holes, and three rounds are played. The hazards are unnatural, consisting of nursemaids, children, tramps and gravel pits."
Following WW1, with no possibility of extending the course, Royal Blackheath took over the Eltham Golf Club course and this has been the clubs home since 1923.
Report on a match played in March 1828.
Morning Post Monday 10 March 1828. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Entry from the Golfing Annual 1888/89.
Blackheath Golf Club button and the pre 'Royal', pattern in silver plate. Images Courtesy of Dixon Pickup.
The above example is by I. McGowan Gerrard St. London. This company though continuing as tailors and general suppliers ceased manufacturing buttons c1835. Interesting to note that the Members of the day state 1745 as their foundation date. Courtesy of Dixon Pickup.
Charles Hunter was the professional from 1861 – 1864.
Below is a selection of more recent results for Royal Blackheath from the 1890s and 1900s.
Result of a match against the Royal Artillery Golf Club played in April 1891.
"Golf" Friday 10 April 1891. Images © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
"Golf" Friday 15 May 1891. Images © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
On Friday 24 March 1893 it was reported that "D Rolland and H Kirkaldy, two prominent professional golf players, met in a match over the Blackheath Links. A well contested game ended in favour of Rolland by two up and one to play."
Below is a foursomes match being played in March 1893 at Blackheath between H Kirkaldy and J G Gibson against D Rolland and Mr Schalt.
Peacock Brand, "Autochrom" Postcard, Pictorial Stationery Co Ltd., London, c.1900.
Thirty three members took part in the monthly medal and Calcuatta Cup on Tuesday 15 December 1893, result; J G Gibson, 114+1-115; W O S Pell, 116, scratch; C M Baker, 137-21-116; G F Saunders, 129-11-118; F S Ireland, 116+3-119; T A Raynes, 130-10-120.
Result of the monthly medal played on Tuesday 14 August 1894; F J Lawrence, 141-25-116 and E W D Walthall, 144-28-116, tied for first place; F S Ireland, 118 scratch; C B Lindsay, 136-18-118; W R M Glasier, 152-31-121; A Schacht, 119+2-121.
Twenty two competitors took part in the club’s monthly medal on Tuesday 4 September 1894 in fine weather. The greens were in splendid condition, result; F S Ireland, 110+2-112; A Schacht, 112+2-114; Colonel Harman, 141-23-118; F J Laurence, 142-24-118; G H Frean, 148-30-118; W C Johnson, 144-25-119.
Result of a match against Royal Artillery Golf Club in March 1895.
"Golf" Friday 5 April 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
New course record for twenty-one holes in June 1895.
"Golf" Friday 28 June 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Correction to the above report.
"Golf" Friday 5 July 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Memories of "An Old Blackheathen" written in January 1897. "I have read with the greatest of pleasure and interest the article headed "Willie Dunn v Allan Robertson," and although a feeble wielder of the pen, I cannot refrain - as one who new Dunn well - from adding my own personal testimony to the unvarnished truth of Mr Doleman's statement. My own real acquaintance with "Willie" began about the year 1857, if my memory serves me, when I was a lad of fourteen. One morning I was trying my youthful hand at putting on the Home green at Blackheath, with an old cleek I had purchased from a caddie, when the then Earl of Eglinton and Winton appeared on the course to play with Dunn. As luck would have it, just as they reached the green, I had managed to hole out a very long putt, by a fearful fluke. His lordship happening to see this, asked "Dunnie" who I was, and on being told, immediately, with great generosity, ordered him to make me a set of clubs. (I may say here that this act of kindness was not thrown away, as I did my level best to deserve the gift - and with some little success - as I was one of the medal winners of the "Boys' medals" kindly given by the Royal Blackheath Golf Club). From that time "Wullie" and I were fast friends. I have watched the play of many good golfers since, and can fully endorse every word as to Dunn being "one of the grandest players that ever lifted a club, as well as one of the most modest of men."
In writing this, I am reminded of another grand golfer whose acquaintance I had the good fortune to make, the late Mr George Glennie, of St Andrews renown. Many a time I have walked round the Blackheath course, watching him and "Wullie" playing a game, and never once do I remember either of them losing their temper. I must add that a more genial, generous-hearted, and honest man than dear Willie Dunn never did, nor never will, adorn the golfing world, and when I heard of his death, and of the insidious and fearful disease with which he had been stricken down. no one outside his family grieved more sincerely for the loss of a true friend, than did I."
On Tuesday 3 October 1899 G Spurling won the Penn Cup (limited for players with handicaps under 21) with a score of 121-14-107, he also secured the monthly medal with this score. The “Glennie” medal, for best gross score, was won by F S Ireland with 114. Other scores were; W E Hughes, 119-9-110; E W Sampson, 128-16-112; S W Smythe, 135-22-113; F C Champion, 130-16-114; W J Dyer, 132-18-114; F S Ireland, 114+3-117. There were 30 competitors, with three no returns.
The annual competitions for the Calcutta Cup and Photographic Medal were held on Tuesday 5 December 1899 in miserable weather. Twenty four members competed, but the fog that prevailed over the course resulted in half the field having no returns. Mr M H Richardson was the winner of the Calcutta Cup. In the Photographic Medal he tied with Mr F G Ireland. It was reported that “the tie was decided yesterday morning under most unfavourable circumstances” Mr Richardson again winning. Curiously Mr Ireland does not appear in the final scores, as follows; M H Richardson, 118-10-108; C B Lindsay, 131-19-112; H C Buxton, 135-21-114; F S Sawer, 128-11-117; W J Dyer, 141-18-123; J Osmond, 145-21-124; D Christopherson, 148-21-127; A Sales, 156-17-139.
Interesting report from the Western Morning News Tuesday 2 July 1901; "J H TAYLOR v JAMES BRAID - A match at the somewhat unusual "distance" of 21 holes took place at Blackheath yesterday, the competitors being J H Taylor and James Braid. Taylor from the outset showed the better form, and finished the first round 2 holes up, his score being 33 to Braid's 36. In the second round, however, Braid made a brilliant effort, and going out in 31, to Taylor's 33, very nearly squared the match. Starting the third round, Taylor proved to be at the very top of his game, and, winning hole after hole, eventually beat the champion by 5 and 3."
Report celebrating the Tercentenary of the club in January 1908.
Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser Monday 20 January 1908. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
On Tuesday 14 July 1908 playing splendid golf after seven holes, J H Taylor won the stroke competition on the Blackheath course. The competition was, as usual, over twenty one holes, three rounds of the seven hole course, and Taylor equalled the records, both of which he already held. He scored thirty for a single round, and 96 for the 21 holes. James Braid and Tom Vardon came next both scoring 97, while Harry Vardon scored 99. A four ball foursome resulted in the Vardons defeating Braid and Taylor by one hole.
On Tuesday 18 November 1913 the revival of an old time fixture took place, the meeting of the Royal Blackheath Club and the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society on Blackheath Common. It revived many memories of the early days of golf. In 1899 the Oxford and Cambridge Society played a match against Royal Blackheath , but not since that time had the side met. That was in the days of the gutta ball, and one member of the Society team who figured in the 1899 match, Bernard Darwin, had the honour of leading the team in this encounter. He halved the first seven holes with W G C Munsie, but the Blackheath player won the eighth, was two up on the fourteenth, and secured the match by 3 and 1. Only seven holes were laid out on the common, and the matches, all singles, were determined by three rounds. The second match was also won by the home team, A S Johnston beating A C M Croome, on the last green. Five of the next six matches were won by the Society, the final game was between C J Burnup and G S Heath, ended all square, and the Society won the match by 5 matches to 3 with one halved.
Below a really interesting comparison of pictures of the “Ravine Hole” sent to us by Lee Patterson of @LdnGolfHisory.
Images of the Ravine Hole courtesy of Lee Patterson.
Below a report from November 1922 - a little bit of the history, and the club is about to move to Eltham.
From the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer Saturday 25 November 1922. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Recollections on the “Glories of Blackheath Golf” from the Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News 8 January 1931, by Vedette. “When at the Royal Blackheath Golf Club the other day my mind went back to the time when I played my last round on the famous heath. This was before the war, which definitely put an end to golf on the common. Even then, because of nursemaids wheeling perambulators, and all manner of people wandering about aimlessly across the line of play, golf was a hazardous undertaking. Innumerable roads over which buses and motor cars dash; lamp posts, armies of footballers, and swarms of boys have together made golf on the heath impossible. Royal Blackheath, the oldest golf club in the world, still lives, but its activities have been transferred to Eltham. Even so, its historic glories will never fade.
Did not James 1 and his Scottish courtiers play on the heath, and did not the red-coated players dine gloriously off turtles and haunches of venison at the Chocolate House and the Green Man? And the Silver Cup presented by Henry Foot in 1766 is still in existence to remind present-day golfers that 165 years ago men in top hats, frock coats and skin-tight trousers played seven-holes, one of the longest in the world, over that bare, flinty heath and enjoyed every moment of it.”
Layout of the seven-hole Royal Blackheath course. Image courtesy @LdnGolfHistory.
The Google Map below shows the location of the former course.