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Berlin-Westend Golf Club. (1907 - 1945)
Spandauer Damm, North Side 1907-1945.
It is believed that the first golf course in Berlin in 1894 was located between Spandauer Chaussee, Eschenallee and Ulmenallee, opposite the former racecourse, about half a mile awayfrom Westend railway station.The Fürstensaal restaurant was located nearby on Spandauer Chaussee and the club probably had its first small clubhouse in a shed adjacent to the course, on the south side of what today is called Spandauer Damm.
The Golfing Annual 1895-96 states “The course, which is situated in the west end of the city, consists of nine short holes, the par being about 27. The greens are still rather rough, and at several of the holes there is crossing. The hazards are fir trees and bushes. Visitors may be introduced to the privileges of the green for three days without payment, and for one month on payment of 15 marks.”
Golfing Annual 1896-97 states “It [the course] is short, but not uninteresting. The soil is sandy, but the greens are only fair.”
1900-01 Golfing Annual states “The new course, of nine-holes, is in the west end of the city, close to the old one.” We believe the old course was just being extended but still on the south side of Spandauer Chaussee [Spandauer Damm].
In 1907, Berlin Golf Club, instituted in 1894 as Charlottenburger Golf-Club, moved to the north side of the Spandauer Damm where a new 9-hole golf course had just been laid out.
Thanks to the area having been used before as a steeplechase racetrack, the new golf course even had a veritable irrigation system. In 1909 the course played over 2,268metres at Bogey 39.
Due to the steadily increasing number of golfers in the German capital, the club began to look for a more suitable new terrain for an 18-hole golf course, which was found in 1913 at Berlin-Wannsee. Construction for the new 18-hole golf course started the same year, but all work was halted when the great war started in 1914. When the war was finished it took until 1926 before the new and still existing golf course at Berlin-Wannsee was opened.
After the opening of the Wannsee golf course in 1926 the Golf- und Land-Club Berlin-Wannsee as it was named by then still operated the golf course at Westend as a near-urban golf course and golf academy for its members.
Entry from the Golfer's Handbook 1933; Westend, Spandauer Chaussee (Kirschen Allee); Nine-holes; Professionals, E Rindt and H Zoll; Greenkeeper, H Koellner; Records - Amateur, F W Gerb, 76; Professional, A Stiefel, 74; Visitors' fees, 2.50 marks per day, 5 marks on Saturday and Sunday; Sunday play allowed with caddies.
In 1934, the independent Berlin-Westend Golf Club was founded after the Wannsee Club began to lose members mainly due to the beginning emigration of so-called non-Aryans, making it no longer viable for the club to maintain a second golf course close to the city centre.
It is believed that by 1940 no more golf was played at the Westend golf course as the site was used for anti-aircraft guns and in September 1945 the former golf course was parcelled out for allotment garden purposes.
Christoph Meister
November 2023