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Beckenham Place Park Golf Club, Lewisham. (1934 - 2017)

Beckenham Place Golf Club took over the course from the Foxgrove Golf Club in 1932.

An 18-hole undulating woodland pay and play public course. The Mansion House that overlooked the course was formerly owned by the Cator family.

There was much sadness and controversy when Lewisham Council decided to close the public course in November 2017.

The Council put in place the following draft master-plan for the area.

“Our vision for the largest park in the borough is to restore its natural heritage features, enhance facilities and activities so that it attracts a wider range of visitors. To achieve this, Mayor and Cabinet made the decision to close the golf course in Beckenham Place Park, which took up a third of the park area.”

It was reported in April 1934 that Beckenham Place Park Golf Course, formerly known as the Foxgrove Golf Course, has been purchased by the L.C.C. is to be opened to the public towards the end of the month.

Both Foxgrove Golf Club (1907) and Braeside Golf Club (1947) played over the Beckenham Place Park Public Golf Course into the 1990s.

The opening of the course in July 1934.

Lewisham Borough News Tuesday 10 July 1934. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From the 1937 Golfer's Handbook; Beckenham Place Park Golf Course; Communications to Chief Officer of the Parks Dept.; 18-holes; Green Fees, 1s/6d a round,  2s/6d a day. Beckenham Park Place Golf Club; Secretary - J Harrower, 175b High Street, Beckenham; Play over the municipal course.

Scorecard from 1937. From the Christoph Meister Archive.

From the 1947 Golfer's Handbook; Beckenham Place Park Golf Course; Communications to Chief Officer of the Parks Dept., The Old County Hall, Spring Gardens, London, S.W.1; Professional, T Cotton; Gren-keeper, W Tinkler; 18-holes, Par 71, SSS 71;Professional course record; T Cooton, 65; Green Fees, 1s/6d a round,  2s/6d a day. Beckenham Park Place Golf Club; Secretary - J Harrower, 175b High Street, Beckenham; Play over the municipal course.

Golfer's Handbook 1951; From the 1951 Golfer's Handbook; Beckenham Place Park Golf Course; Communications to Chief Officer of the Parks Dept., The Old County Hall, Spring Gardens, London, S.W.1; Professional, Tom Cotton; Gren-keeper, W Tinkler; 18-holes, Par 70, SSS 69;Professional course record; T Cotton, 65; Amateur course record; J H Grieg, 65;  Green Fees, 2s a round, 3s/6d day (Weekend and Bank Holidays, 2s/6d a round, 4s a day); Beckenham Park Place Golf Club; Membership, 260; Secretary - C T E Jennings, 34 Blacklands Road, ; Play over the municipal course.

Golfer's Handbook 1956 to 1961; Beckenham Place Park Golf Course; Communications to Chief Officer of the Parks Dept., The Old County Hall, Spring Gardens, London, S.W.1; Officer in charge, W Larna; Professional, Tom Cotton; Green-keeper, W Tinkler; 18-holes, Par 70, SSS 69;Professional course record; T Cotton, 65; Amateur course record; J H Grieg and S McIntyre, 65;  Green Fees, 2s/6 a round,  4s/6d a day (Weekend and Bank Holidays, 3s a round, 5s a day); Beckenham Park Place Golf Club; Membership, 260; Secretary - J Harrower, 175b High Street, Beckenham; Visitors, 2s a day (2s/6d); Play over the municipal course.

Golfer's Handbook 1964;  Communications to Chief Officer of the Parks Dept., The Old County Hall, Spring Gardens, London, S.W.1; 18-holes, 5,677 yards, Par 70, SSS 70; Professional, G Cotton; Green-keeper, F Brooker; Green Fees, 3s/6d a round (4s a round); Beckenham Park Place Golf Club; Membership, 200; Secretary - D T Knight, 15 Strathleven Road, Brixton; Play over the municipal course.

Golfer's Handbook 1975 to 1982; Beckenham Place Park Golf Course; Public; Secretary, D T Knight, 30 Meadowside Road, Catford; Professional, G Cotton; 18-holes, 5672 yards, SSS 67; Course Records - Amateur; S Champion, 62; Professional - T Cotton, 65; Green Fees 80p (1975); £1 a day, £1.75 Weekend (1982).

Course scorecard from 1980.

Golfer's Handbook 1988 to 1991; Membership 180; Secretary, L Snashfold;  Professional, W Woodman; 18-holes, 5,722 yards, SSS 68; Green Fees in 1988, £3.90 (£5.40); Green Fees in 1991, £6.50 (£11).  

Course scorecard 1980/90s.

Thanks to Christoph Meister for his help in supplying some of the images below. Christoph also recalls "When I had my first golf lesson there in 1989 it was one of the busiest golf courses in the U.K. with up to 50,000 players per year. Since then the number of golfers at Beckenham Park has decreased and Lewisham Council reckons there would be more people using the park if there was no golf course. From my memory I can only state that there is enough space in the park for both golfers and non-golfing visitors. 

Picture below shows the clubhouse from the eighteenth-tee with the first fairway to the left."

Above are early views of the course.

Course description from “Browning’s Golf in Kent.” c1960s. From the Christoph Meister Archive.

Later course layout. From the Christoph Meister Archive.

Course scorecard from 2000s. From the Christoph Meister Archive.

Golfer's Handbook 1994 to 2004; Professional, H Davies-Thomas; Green Fees, 7s/6d (£12.60).

Golfer's Handbook 2009; Professional, Jonathan Good; 18-holes, 5,722 yards, SSS, 68; Green Fees, £16 (£23).

Later view of the course.

Above, part of the master-plan. The trees are marked with red spots signifying removal.

Felling takes place of many of the trees on the former golf course.