Basel Golf Club. (1926 - 1964)

The Basel Golf Club was established in 1926 and occupied two courses prior to moving to its present location.

Immediately after the foundation of Golf Club Basel in March 1926 the construction of a nine-hole golf course started at Rue de la Fontaine in St. Louis, Alsace. A small but cosy clubhouse was also constructed and the course was opened in 1927 with a scratch score of 37.

The first golf course, as well as today's course (the third one for this club) was on French territory at St. Louis and was included in the French Golf Guide from 1929.

However, since its establishment in 1926, the club had been a member of the Swiss Golf Association.

 

Basel Golf Club, Switzerland. Course Guide 1929.

Golf course guide 1929.

 

Basel Golf Club, Switzerland. Course layout 1931.

Layout of the course 1931.

 

Basel Golf Club, Switzerland. The Clubhouse.

 

Basel Golf Club, Switzerland. Course Guide 1931.

The two images above are from the Golf Course Guide 1931.

 

The construction of the course was supervised by the English golf professional Arthur W. Tingley from Croydon who was at the club for more than 50 years. On August 17th 1932 Arthur created a course record of 69 strokes. With the outbreak of WW II the course was closed down and ploughed up. The border to Switzerland was sealed off with barbed wire.

After the war Arthur Tingley immediately went to work on the course and re-opened seven-holes in May 1947. Unfortunately the clubhouse, which was being used by local shepherds, was in a sad state of repair.

In 1946/7 the secretary was Nils Kerkovius, 29 Jakobstr, Basel. The professional was a Arthur Tingley, and the green-keeper E Schmidt.

The club started to look for new land and found an appropriate site at Lörzbachmühle, Allschwil, Basel-Stadt. It was here that a new golf course was designed and constructed by Arthur Tingley, this course was opened in 1949. This course was in existence until 1967, with a driving range being constructed as late as 1965.

In the mid 1950s the secretary was C G Preitner, Malzgasse 23, Basel. The professional was A W Tingley and the green-keeper E Greiner. Course records were; amateur, O F Dillier 32; professional, R Tingley 30. The nine-holes measured 2,380 yards and had a SSS of 34. The club had a membership of 170. Visitors’ fees were 7 francs a day. The station at Basel was 20 minutes by tramcar.

In the early 1960s the secretary was H P Maeder. The professionals were A W Tingley and R Tingley, and the green-keeper E Greiner (W Glesser 1963 on). Club membership was 190 (250 in 1963 on). The course (nine-holes) had a total length of 4,795 yards and a SSS of 65. Visitors’ fees were 8 francs a day, 12 francs at weekend.

In 1957 an initiative was made to find land for a new 18-hole championship golf course and in 1964 the present golf course of Basel Golf & Country Club (previously named Golf Club Basel until 1962) designed by German architect Bernhard von Limburger was opened at Hagenthal in neighbouring Alsace, France. Today's course lies completely in French territory and is only about a kilometre away from the former course at Lörzbachmühle, which was directly adjacent to the French border.