Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke Course. (1892 - WW2)

The club was founded in 1892.

The Brighton Ladies' Course was laid out on land adjacent to the Dyke Golf Club (founded 1906).

The Ladies' Golf Club course was of nine-holes and was in existence from 1892 until the outbreak of WW2. Some of the features of the former ladies course can still be made out.

The Dyke Golf Club sits at 650 feet with views over Brighton and out into the English Channel. The Dyke club are currently occupying their fifth clubhouse and their course has seen many enforced changes. During WW2 the course suffered a lot of damage when the land was used for tank training. The road up to the current clubhouse did not exist when the club were up at the Dyke. The Dyke is a seriously deep valley and the original first and eighteenth holes were played over it. 

Results from the first Spring Meeting in May 1893.

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Results from the Spring Meeting in May 1893.

Field Saturday 3 June 1893. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Brighton & Hove Ladies' Golf Club. The Ladies' Clubhouse.

The spacious former Brighton & Hove Ladies’ clubhouse.

 

Report on the description of the course in December 1893. 

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Description of the course in December 1893.

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Description of the course in December 1893.

Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News Saturday 30 December 1893. Image © Illustrated London News Group.

 

Competition result from March 1894.

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Competition result from March 1894.

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

 

Below is the result of a match played at Burgess Hill against the Southdown & Brighton Ladies' Golf Club on Saturday 28 April 1894. The scoring was on the "new method" for club matches introduced by the Ladies' Golf Union.

Southdown and Brighton Ladies' Golf Club   Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club  
Miss Starkie Bence (one up plus 2)  3 Miss Sanderson 0
Miss Causton 0 Miss Heathcote (five up plus 2) 7
Mrs Dill 0 Mrs Barry (five up plus 2) 7
Miss Martin 0 Miss M Heathcote (four up plus 2) 6
Miss E Cleave 0 Miss Walker (four up plus 2) 6
Mrs Richardson (two up plus two) 4 Mrs Shiffner 0
Miss Cleaver 0 Miss Farnall (thirteen up plus two) 15
  7   41

Results of competitions played in September 1894.

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Competition results from September 1894.

"Golf" Friday 21 September 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Competition results from November 1894. 

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Competition results from November 1894.

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

 

Competition result from May 1903.

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Competition result from May 1903.

The Field Saturday 30 May 1903. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

In the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook it confirms the foundation date as 1892; the name of the club is Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club; The secretary was Mrs Keen, 39 Ventnor Villas, Hove; captain, Mrs Gerald Moore; number of members, 130; professional, A Hards; nine-hole rather short course; entrance fee, £2/2s and subs £1/10s, amateur course record, Mrs Kennion, 72. Visitors' fees ladies, 1/- a day; gentlemen, 2/- a day.

 

Brighton & Hove Ladies' Golf Club. Club button.

Brighton & Hove Ladies' Golf Club button. Courtesy of Dixon Pickup.

 

 

Brighton & Hove Ladies' Golf Club. Location of the course in 1910.

The Ladies' course and clubhouse are marked in the centre of the above map. Reproduced from the {1910} Ordnance Survey Map.

 

In October 1905 the club appears as Brighton Ladies' Club in a match against Ashdown Ladies' Golf Club.

Ashdown Ladies' Golf Club   Brighton Ladies' Golf Club  
Miss M E Phillps 1 Miss Whshoff (sic) 0
Miss Andrews 1 Mrs G Moor 0
Miss Cary 1 Miss V Bingham 0
Mrs G Gordon 1 Miss Bell 0
Mrs Homan 1 Miss D Field 0
Miss M Parsons 1 Miss Keen 0
  6   0

The 1913 Boxing Day mixed foursome competition was won by Miss D Ionides and Mr C A Ionides with 72 net. 

Competition result from April 1929.

 

Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club, Dyke. Competition result from April 1929.

Worthing Gazette Wednesday 24 April 1929. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

The Dyke Golf Club first clubhouse.

The above picture shows the first clubhouse of the Dyke Golf Club, with the first tee clearly visible. The Brighton & Hove Ladies course is on the opposite side of the road, to the left. Some of the greens, tee boxes and the foundations for the clubhouse can still be seen.

 

The Dyke Hotel  in the 1930s.

The Dyke Hotel in the 1930s, one of the greens of the former ladies course can be seen on the extreme right centre.

 

Brighton & Hove Golf Club. Location of the ladies course.

Location of the ladies course is to the north west, Grid reference for the ladies’ course, TQ25780,10665, co-ordinates 525780,110665. The Dyke Golf Club first clubhouse is opposite to the north east.

 

The Google Map below pinpoints the location of the Ladies' course.