Hook Golf Club, Hants. (1890s) 

The club was founded in 1892. 

Following is a report from the Reading Mercury Saturday 30 April 1892. “HOOK GOLF CLUB – At a meeting held at the “White Hart” Hook, on Wednesday the 23rd, a club was formed under the above title to start golf links on Hook Common, Sir Henry Mildmay, and the Hon. Mrs Leir Carleton having kindly given permission to use the Common for this purpose. The chair having been taken by Mr W H Bayley, of Hook, it was announced that Sir Henry Mildmay had consented to become president and the Hon. Mrs Leir Carleton lady patroness of the club. Work will be commenced at once on the links, and it is hoped they will be in playing order before very long. The Common affords ample room for an 18-hole course, but at first a 9-hole course will be laid out, the start and finish being within three minutes walk of Hook Station. The hon. secretary of the club is Mr P F Morton of Hook.”

Below is a report on the opening.

 

Hook Golf Club, Hants. Report on the opening of the course November 1892.

From the Hants & Berks Gazette and Middlesex and Surrey Journal Saturday 10 December 1892. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Below a report on forming a Golf Association for Hampshire, Hook Golf Club seemed prominent in the formation.

 

Hook Golf Club, Hants. Report on the forming of the Hampshire Golf Association October 1893.

From the Hants & Berks Gazette and Middlesex and Surrey Journal Saturday 28 October 1893. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Below the result of a match played against Hartley Wintney at Hook on Wednesday 22 November 1893. This was the third in a series of matches arranged by the Hook Golf Club during the autumn. This was the return match against Hartley Wintney who where winners on the previous occasion. It had been suggested that a combined team of these two clubs should play some of the stronger clubs in the neighbourhood and hopefully these matches could be arranged.  It was reported that “ Match play is an excellent thing, making the individual golfer play up keenly, and should also rouse further interest in the game. We hope therefore that these matches may be kept up and become more frequent in the future.”

Hook Golf Club   Hartley Wintney Golf Club  
J Scott 5 F G Tuck 0
J H Driver 3 H Hollings 0
E H Morton 4 H Bourdillon 0
F D Heeney 0 Rev. W Claxton 1
A L Seereton 0 R P Branfoot 4
P F Morton 4 C P Hastings 0
  16   5

The article below confirms that Hook Golf Club was at the forefront of forming a Golf Association for Hampshire.

 

Hook Golf Club, Hants. Report on the forming of the Hampshire Golf Association April 1894.

From the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News Saturday 14 April 1894. Image © Illustrated London News Group.

 

Result from the autumn meeting in September 1894; P F Morton, 104-10-94 (scratch prize presented by Colonel May); A L Secretan, 120-25-95; J S Ramsay, 107-7-100; J H Driver, 114-8-106.

Hartley Witney Golf Club prospered, unfortunately nothing further was found regarding Hook Golf Club.

As can be seen the course appears on the Ordnance Survey Map in 1897.

Below is the golf course marked on Bartley Heath.

 

Hook Golf Club, Hants. The golf course on Bartley Heath in 1897.

Ordnance Survey Map © Crown Copyright {1897}

 

The Google Map below pinpoints the location of the former Hook golf course.