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Gaschwitz Golf Club. (1905 - 1945)
On April 1st 1905 the Golf-Club Gaschwitz was founded by Ernst Gulden, Heinrich Gontard, Consul S.P. Warner, Dr. Carl Beck, Paul Gulden and Hans Volckmar. Golf was first played on a meadow in Gaschwitz, south of Leipzig, which at the time was not a recognised golf course.
Land at Gaschwitz was later leased from the local lord of the manor Plantier, who also gave a loan of about 4,000 Marks towards the construction of the golf course. A further three thousand marks was collected by the 30 members and so on July 2nd 1905 the golf course at Gaschwitz measuring over 1,976m (for 9 holes) was opened including a small but cosy clubhouse. In 1907 Golf-Club Gaschwitz was an original member when the German Golf Association was founded in Hamburg.
Following a visit to St. Andrews Ernst Gulden became aware of the shortcomings not only of his own golf game but also of the Gaschwitz golf course. In 1908, a piece of land, the so-called "Fiedlersches Feld" was rented as additional land to expand the existing golf course. The extended course was opened in autumn 1909 playing over 2,121m (for 9 holes) at Bogey 37.
In 1911 the German Amateur Close Championship was played at Gaschwitz representing a highlight in the history of the still young golf club. At this time the course was extended to 2,277m (for 9 holes). By 1914 the course was lengthened to 2,438m (for 9-holes). During all those years the layout of the course was not changed, but simply individual golf holes were lengthened.
During the First World War the Gaschwitz golf course survived attempts by the authorities to grow potatoes and turnips on the course; Golf and operations were continued under the most difficult conditions.
Layout of the Gaschwitz course in 1928.
Relaxing on the golf course in 1928.
Picture of the Gaschwitz clubhouse in 1929.
The river and clubhouse. Above pictures from the Christoph Meister private archive.
By 1931 the course measured 2,700m and from 1936 it was extended to 2,815m (all length indications for gentlemen and 9-holes). In 1936 the club had 130 members and Dr. Bernhard von Limburger, the German golf course architect and publisher of the German golf magazine, was club president.
The last golf tournaments at Gaschwitz were played in 1944 and in 1945, at this time there was very little golf played at Gaschwitz by locals. When the US-soldiers arrived at Leipzig in April 1945 the course was handed over to the Americans who played a lot of golf on the remaining 7-holes. By July 1945 the Soviets had taken over Saxony and golf was no longer played in Gaschwitz. The course was split up into allotment gardens and all parts of the course that were in danger of flooding were uses as a football pitch. By 1946 the club had ceased to exist and the clubhouse including all property had been handed over to the communist mayor of Gaschwitz.
Christoph Meister, June 2017.