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Chichester Golf Club, Sussex. (1892 - 1914)
The club was founded in 1892 with a membership of just eighteen gents and two ladies. The professional was F E Goldsmith.
Below “The golf links of the Chichester club have just been opened at Peckham Copse.”
From the Bognor Regis Observer Wednesday 14 September 1892. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Below is the result of a match against Bognor Golf Club in March 1893.
From the Sussex Agricultural Express Saturday 25 March 1893. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
To confirm the existence of the club the following article appeared in the Hampshire Advertiser in January 1897. “A month or two ago a rather interesting fact was noted by Grey, the professional on the Chichester Golf Club links. He saw a turkey apparently sitting on her eggs, but on turning her off he found that she had been sitting on two golf balls!”
The above map shows Peckham Copse and Peckham Copse Farm in the late 1890s. No golf course marked. Reproduced from the {1898} Ordnance Survey Map.
By 1900 the club had moved from the original 9-hole course at North Mundham to the “Downland at Goodwood.”
Below is the result of a match played at Goodwood against Hayling in November 1904.
| Chichester Golf Club | Hayling Golf Club | ||
| Col. Fryer | 1 | Col. Mackenzie | 0 |
| M F Mieville (half) | 0 | W Raymond (half) | 0 |
| Dr. Kidd | 1 | D Mercer | 0 |
| J P H Soper | 0 | Col. Saville | 1 |
| H H Curry | 0 | S Mumby | 1 |
| Rev. E Hammonds | 0 | W Gann | 1 |
| Dr Steen | 1 | Mr Warner | 0 |
| Rev. E K Cummin | 0 | Dr. Case | 1 |
| Col. Fryer & M F Mieville | 1 | Col. Mackenzie & W Raymond | 0 |
| Dr. Kidd & J P H Soper | 1 | D Mercer & Col. Saville | 0 |
| H H Curry & Rev. E H Hammons | 0 | S Mumby & W Gann | 1 |
| Dr. Steen & Rev. E K Cummin | 1 | Mr Warner & Dr. Case | 0 |
| 6 | 5 |
Silver award button, hallmarked Birmingham 1907 by Vaughtons. Courtesy of Dixon Pickup.
In 1913/4 Chichester Golf Club, Goodwood, was still appearing and the joint secretaries at this club were A H Curry, Goodwood and H Bradford, Strettington, Chichester. The professional was G Chalk. There was no entry fee and subs were £2/2/0. It appeared as an 18-hole course at this time. Visitors’ fees were 2/- a day, 7/6 a week and 10/6 a month. Sunday play was allowed without caddies. There were railway stations at Chichester 3 ½ miles and Lavant 1 ½ miles.
The following is an extract from a report from the Portsmouth Evening News 1 June 1914 and clarifies the situation regarding Chichester Golf Club and Goodwood Golf Club. “A large and fashionable assembly visited Goodwood golf course at the Park on Saturday, when a special house party was entertained by The Duke of Richmond and Gordon for an inaugural exhibition match on the reconstructed golf course. The players were the well known professionals James Braid and Edward Ray. The course is an 18-hole one of which the Duke is president. The club has recently had a large increase in membership, the dissolution of the Chichester Golf Club having sent many players to Goodwood.”
So, the former Chichester Golf Club is dissolved and Goodwood Golf Club comes into being.
The Google Map below pinpoints the area around Peckham Copse, the first course of Chichester Golf Club.