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Porters Golf Club, Colney Heath and Radlett Courses. (1892 - 1900s)
Below evidence of early golf at Radlett played by the Aldenham Lodge Golf Club in December 1892.
Field Saturday 31 December 1892. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Thanks to Michael Morrison who found the following mention of the club from “Golf” 17 August 1894 - “A new course of nine holes has been laid out by Peter Paxton at Colney Heath Common, between Hatfield and St. Albans, Hertfordshire. The ground is all that could be desired for a good course. The turf is of the finest quality. There are plenty of natural hazards, including a gravel pit, 136 yards long, also a large stream running down the side. The ground could be extended at any time into an eighteen-hole course. Play will not commence within four months, owing to the work that has to be done.”
The following information courtesy of Dixon Pickup - "The Porters club was playing over Colney Heath in the 1890s and in the grounds of Aldenham Lodge, Radlett, united to form Porters Golf Club, playing over part of the Porters Estate, then owned by a Mr. Grace.
Originally 9-holes increased in 1903-04. By this time the estate was owned by a Mr Raphael, he asked that the club's name be changed to Porter's Park Golf Club. (The story goes that London golf societies such as the Dockers, Cabmen etc. were wanting a fixture with the Porters!)."
Evidence of the Colney Heath course from the Pall Mall Gazette. "On Saturday 8 October 1898, A Long (Colney Heath,) will play in a series of matches for the Open Professional Golf Competition at Bushey Hall Golf Club."
Below is the result of a match against Bushey Hall Golf Club played on Saturday 2 May 1903. The first teams played at Radlett, the seconds at Bushey.
| Porters Golf Club | Bushey Hall Golf Club | ||
| H A Redford | 1 | H M Beck | 0 |
| Captain G Lubbock | 1 | B M Parton | 0 |
| G Barnett | 0 | Percy Coles | 1 |
| A E Colebrook | 0 | G A Grimwood | 1 |
| Dr. R V B Smyth | 1 | H H Hambling | 0 |
| R W Thomas | 1 | Rev. C W Bennett | 0 |
| V P Long | 0 | W G Parton | 1 |
| George Muir | 1 | J D Geddes | 0 |
| 5 | 3 |
| Bushey Hall Golf Club | Porters Golf Club | ||
| F Clapham | 2 | W Inman | 0 |
| H Coatley White | 1 | W H Robson | 0 |
| A J Kelleway | 0 | C M Humble | 6 |
| J Hindell | 0 | H Booth | 3 |
| L C Preedy | 0 | Ernest N Kent | 0 |
| J J Cameron | 3 | G W Jones | 0 |
| J Stuart Hills | 0 | R R Chapman | 0 |
| H S Rogers | 5 | O H Powell | 0 |
| 11 | 9 |
From the Herts Advertiser Saturday 30 May 1903. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Porters Golf Club button hall marked Chester 1903 and engraved '1906-07'. Image courtesy Dixon Pickup.
The Google Map below shows Colney Heath, location of the earlier golf course.