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Bromley and Bickley Golf Club, Kent. (1892 - WW2)

The original club was founded in 1892.

Following is a report on the beginning of golf at Bromley from the Bromley and District Times Friday 20 November 1891. “Golf or Goff – call it what you will – has come. Two prominent residents were to be noticed yesterday engaged in this fashionable sport. Although the size of the temporary links – a grazing field, with sundry cows about – proved irksome, I do not doubt, now and again, the game appeared to be proceeding to the satisfaction of both players. The attire, attitude, and the accompanying “caddie” were quite à la Scotch, and forbodes a time when this neighbourhood will be the happy possessor of even a “links.” 

Below further progress is made.

Bromley & District Times Friday 4 December 1891. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Bromley & Bickley Golf Club button.

Below - The Golf Club is started.

Bromley & District Times Friday 20 January 1893. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Report on the 18-hole course in November 1893.

From "Golf" Friday 24 November 1893.

Result of the February 1894 monthly medal.

"Golf" Friday 16 February 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Result of a match against Guy's Hospital played in November 1894.

"Golf" Friday 23 November 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

At a general meeting of the Bromley & Bickley Golf club in May 1895, a resolution was passed by a majority of members in favour of Sunday play. As a result of this the following members resigned from the executive committee; Rev F W Haines, captain; J Wheeler Bennett, treasurer; Dr J H Yolland, secretary. A new committee was formed to carry on the club under Sunday auspices, report below.

Bromley & District Times Friday 17 May 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Course under new management in June 1895.

"Golf” Friday 7 June 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Result of a match played against Chislehurst Golf Club in July 1895.

"Golf" Friday 19 July 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Following are a selection of results from the 1896. Monthy medals; February, H B Cruse, 95-13-82; A E Willett, 104-20-84; March  J F Tattersall, 96-13-83; April, C Hardcastle, 92-18-74; May, A Bourne, net 70; July, Huson Morris, 89-10-79; October, H E Solly, 95-15-80.

Result of the The Whitsuntide bogey competition in May 1896 was a tie between H Morris and J F Tattersall both 4down. The driving competition was won by W Morris and the approaching and putting by A Browne.

Results from 1897; February medal, A Bourne 97-12-85; March medal, C H Aytoun 96-20-76, C W Moore 101-25-76, W B Harris 109-25-84, H L Caney 102-17-85, W R Stratton 95-8-87; April medal, W B Harris 101-25-76, W R Stratton 88-8-80, A Bourne 96-12-84, F E Gibbs 104-20-84, F Schooling 104-20-84; May medal, J F Tattersall 75net, W Branden 84-8-76, H Gammidge 97-20-77; September medal, Seaton Taylor 99-24-75; October medal, A Bourne 89-12-77, E M Madden 98-18-80, H L Carey 95-15-80, Rev F W Haines 88-6-82.

Selection of results from 1898, the medals are now in senior and junior divisions, this is not age related but similar to a first and second division; February medal, senior, A Tapp 91-10-81, junior, F E Gibbs 91-16-75; August medal, senior, F E Gibbs 89-14-75, junior, E Machin 94-18-76; November medal, senior, J B Batchelor 90-12-78, junior, J W Darton 95-20-75.

Results for 1899; January medal, senior, C H R Hardcastle 82net, junior, E F Evans 79net; February, senior, F W Payn 91-14-77, junior, A H Morris 96-16-80; April medal, senior, J F Alpe 86-12-74, junior, Col Madden 97-20-77; June medal, senior, S Wyatt and F W Haines 73net, junior, H R Owtram 77net; November medal, senior, C Hardcastle 74net, junior, A E Earnshaw 71net.

Result of the June 1899 monthly medal.

Golf Friday 9 June 1899. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Medal results 1900; April, senior, J B Batchelor 85-9-76, junior, T D Mann 102-20-82, T Hodgson 97-15-82, G A R Tatham 104-22-82; May medal, senior, J F Alpe 85-10-75, junior, C W Moore 88-14-74. The Woodhouse Challenge Cup was won by C W Moore with 74net; June medal, senior, Mr Seaton-Taylor 78net; September medal, senior, Dr E M Madden 90-10-80, junior, E D Towse 96-22-74.

David Dyson Anderson was the Golf professional between 1901 and 1910 he was the son of James Jamie Anderson three times Open Champion. David Dyson Anderson went on to be a Test Pilot in WW1. He then ran a golf school in London before going to Perth West Australia for a health trip but was persuaded to go to Cottesloe Golf Club as a Golf Coach he then moved on to The Royal Perth Golf Club in Australia where he was a Coach until shortly before his death In 1939.

There is evidence that David Dyson was at Bromley and Bickley before 1901. In June 1897 it was reported in the Morning Post that J H Taylor of Wimbledon played David Anderson in a couple of 18 hole matches at Bickley. The local professional was no match for the ex Open champion "who won at every point in the game" Apparently Anderson had a lot of bad luck. He had previously scored 70 round the course but on this occasion his score was 83, although he did improve in the second round.

The club was re-instituted in 1903.  

It was reported in April 1903 that "after opening the new links of the Bromley Golf Club, the Prime Minister left London for a week-end in the country."   

An 18-hole course which was laid out over the old Bromley Racecourse. With the exception of the first and eighteenth holes the course was situated on gravel. The length of the course was about 5,800yds . A well maintained course with particularly good greens. The hazards comprised of two ponds, a road, ditches, sand bunkers and a number of pot bunkers. There were railway stations at Bickley 1 ½ miles and Bromley South 1 ¼ miles. Professionals were, A Nash 1893/4 and H Cavell 1893-1896.

Competitions played in November 1904; Maddon Championship Challenge Trophy Final - A Hambro beat F C Wyatt 5&4; Senior Medal - T H Wheeler jun., 86-5-81; Monthly Medals, Senior -  E M Shepherd, 91-12-79; Junior (three tied) - R E Shattell, 94-14-80; W J Lewin, 95-15-80; J A Hawke, 98-18-80.

In 1905/6 the secretary was R C Kerr, 60 Coleman Street, London. The professional was D Anderson, who took up post in 1901 and stayed until about 1909. Captain, C M Baker. The Station at Bickley was 1 ¼ miles away.  Visitors’ fees on introduction,  2/6 a day and 5/- a week.

Result of the January 1907 monthly medal; Seniors - C R Jones, 92-11-81; S G Matthews, 95-12-83; B H Latter, 89-4-85; S C Lewis, 93-8-85; F H Bowater, 94-8-86; E F Evans, 93-5-88; A W Henly, 93-5-88; W Looker, 97-8-89; R Chas. Powell, 101-10-91; Junior - R Lynch White, 100-14-86.

In 1909/10 the secretary was Edward A MacGowan and the professional F G Renouf. Amateur course record; S C Wyatt, 75. Bogey score was 77. Entrance fee £5/5s and subs £3/5s.   

Result of the yearly gold medal played in October 1911; Senior - A Colyer, 84-10-74; Junior - J E Dyas, 96-18-78.

Result of the October 1911 monthly medal; Senior - R E Chattell, 78 net; Junior - R C Hawkins, 73 net. 

Result of the July 1913 monthly medal; Senior - H N Miller, 84-10-74; Junior - C T Morris, 92-18-74; Bogey - H S Fitter, 1 down.

In 1914 the secretary was E MacGowan and the professional was J C Lonie (from 1910). The club had  a membership of 250 gents and 50 ladies. Entry fees for gents were £5/5/0 and ladies £4/4/0.  Subs were £2/2/0. Visitors on introduction were allowed two free days during the year except weekends and Bank Holidays. Visitors’ fees were 2/6 a day and 10/- a week. Boxing Day and Easter Monday 10/-. Sunday play was allowed without caddies.

The Ordnance Survey Map below shows the course and pavilion at the time of WW1.

O.S. Map Revised 1914; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1919}.

The eleventh hole.

In 1922 the joint secretaries were J H Miller, Atchley, Bickley and S C Lewis, 3 Hope Park, Bromley. The professional from 1920 to 1926 was A Vaux, W T Twine from 1926 until at least 1933. Membership was limited to 250. Visitors’ fees on introduction, 2/6 a day, 5/- a day at weekend, 10/- a day on Bank Holidays 10/- a week (not exceeding 4 weeks in the year). Ladies 1/- a day, 2/6 a day at Weekend and Bank Holiday.

Undated Bromley and Bickley Scorecard.

Result of the monthly bogey in April 1923; Senior - T C Bower (1) 3up; Junior - R Cunningham (15) and S H Paton (19) tied at 1up.

Result of the August 1923 monthly bogey; J F Grose (16) 4up.

In September 1923 the Kent Professional Golf Championship was held over the Bromley and Bickley course. After tieing for first place with a record score of 72 in the morning, Frank Ball of Langley Park, who was one of the leading professionals at the time, broke the course record again in the afternoon with a score of 69.

Kent Ladies’ Championship November 1924 played at Sidcup. Only once in four years since the event was instituted had Mrs Cautley, Thanet, failed to appear in the final, and on Thursday the 6th she won her semi-final against Mrs Kenneth Morris, Chislehurst, the holder, by 7 and 5 to book her place in the final. The other finalist was Miss I Doxford, Bromley and Bickley, who beat Mrs Major, Chislehurst by 4 and 3 in the other semi-final.

In May 1927 the Kent Golf Club Professionals’ President’s Cup was won at the spring meeting at Cobham Park by W T Twine of Bromley and Bickley with a score of 148, two rounds of 74.

In the late 1920s the joint secretaries were S C Lewis and J H Miller, Atchley, Bickley and the professional W T Twine. Course records were, amateur T C Bowler 71, professional F Ball 69.

Image courtesy of Graham Rowley.

Willie  Twine, Bromley professional, was a regular on the professional circuit and was often on the leader board at many competitions, including the Open.

Playing on the Molesey Hurst course (now defunct) in February 1931 Willie T Twine, professional at Bromley and Bickley, had a score of 67, beating the previous record by 2 strokes.

On Saturday 14 May 1932 Twine was in an epic battle with the great Henry Cotton in the Dunlop-Southport professional tournament at Hesketh. They went blow for blow round the course until the seventeenth hole on the second round. They were level at the 16th hole and it was Twine who had the honour on the short seventeenth hole. Twine found the green but was a long way from the pin. Then Cotton produced a magnificent iron shot that finished two feet from the hole. Cotton took the lead, and with both players finishing with a par four at the final hole Cotton secured the first prize of £500, Twine took the second prize of £75. Final scores; Cotton, 71+74=145; Twine, 73+73=146.

Below is the result of a ladies’ match played at Nevill Golf Club in June 1932.

In June 1933 W T Twine, the Bromley and Bickley professional, scored 74 on the Prince’s course at Richmond Park. The competition was celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Richmond Park Club.

The winner of the Scratch Medal in June 1933 was A H Young, 80. In the Alpe Challenge Cup A H Young, 80-6-74 and R C Hawkins, 81-7-74 tied.

The Par 3 Seventeenth Hole.

On Wednesday 28 July 1937 the 36 hole Kent Professional Golfers’ Union mixed foursomes competition was held on the Bromley and Bickley course. The winners were Mr W J Robinson (professional) and Mrs Leonard Alston from the St Margaret’s Golf Club (also now defunct).

Above images from The Bystander 14 December 1938. Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

F G Boultard played in the £500 golf tournament played at Sundridge Park in June 1940. Hitting mighty drives of over 300 yards, Richard Burton, former Open Champion, had a third round of 69 and a total of 209 to lead after the third round. Henry Cotton who led after the first two rounds with 139 shot 73 for his third round giving him second position on 212. F G Boultard from Bromley and Bickley had a third round of 75 putting him on 224.

In the clubs last year in 1939 the address was Bromley&Bickley Golf Club, Bromley Common. Telephone Hurstway 1020. The secretary was F H Teall O.B.E and the assistant secretary L C Bacon. The professional was F Boultard and the greenkeeper R Bird. The 18 hole course had SSS of 72. Amateur course record was held by E R Tipple with a score of 67, professional W T Twine 63. Visitors’ fees on introduction, 2/6 a day, 7/6 a day Weekends and Bank holidays, 15/- a week (not exceeding 4 weeks in the year), 40/- a month.

In 1939 the Bromley & Bickley Golf Club went into liquidation. West Kent Golf Club moved to the Bromley & Bickley course for the duration of the war. Following WW2 West Kent amalgamated with the former Downe Golf Club at Orpington. (See separate entries for both Downe Golf Club and West Kent Golf Club.) 

Following WW2 some areas of the original course were developed as a recreation and sports ground when a nearby housing estate was built. The current Bromley club at Magpie Hall Lane is a nine-hole public course owned by London Borough Council and was Founded in 1948

The former Bromley course extended north of the present site.