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Nice Golf Club, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritime (06). (1902 - WW2)

The club was founded in 1902 at Cagnes-sur-Mer.

On Friday 11 April 1902 Mr Nicolas Xantho registered the “Société Anonyme du Golf de Nice”. The society held its first General Meeting the following Monday. Mr Xantho was elected President of the Board with the Reverend Canon as vice-president; members – J L Langford-Browne, J R Hay-Gordon and Baron Jean de Bellet.

It must be emphasised that the success of the club was mainly due to the efforts of Mr Xantho and J R Hay-Gordon. The input by the later vice-president, Mr Thornton, must not be forgotten.

The 18-hole course was located at Cagnes-sur-Mer, less than ten kilometres from the centre of Nice. A tram service was available allowing easy access for the golfers. The grass used for the course was very resilient and there was no need for annual sowing, this was the case for all the courses on the Riviera. The first part of the course was quite open, until the eighth. On the second nine there were many more trees to contend with.

Report on the new course January 1903.

Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 27 January 1903. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Course layout at Cagnes-Sur-Mer.

The Golf Hotel at Cagnes-sur-Mer. John Llewellyn collection.

From the Athletic News Monday 20 January 1908 - "Mr Lloyd George, the President of the Board of Trade, has established a record on the Nice golf links. He did the seventeenth hole, which measures 110 yards, in one stroke. This is believed the first time a hole has been accomplished in one at Nice."

An important professional tournament with prize money of £165 was to be played on 17 and 18 March 1908. The famous triumvirate, Harry Vardon, James Braid and J H Taylor were invited, along with the Open Champion Arnaud Massy. Also competing were French players Jean Gassiat and B Bomboudiac, along with the local professional A Covington, and the Cannes Golf Club professional B S Callaway.

The course was very hard due to ten weeks of drought. Harry Vardon won the stroke play competition with a score of 143, runner-up was Arnaud Massy, 147, with Braid and Gassiat tied for third on 148. On the second day the four-ball competition was played and was won by Braid and his partner Gassiat, Massy and Callaway finished second.   

Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News Saturday 28 March 1908.mage © Illustrated London News Group.

The Baron de Bellet was the leading amateur of the club. In 1909 he won the Nice Amateur Championship and, in the same year, he won the French Amateur. He was also a member of the Paris Golf Club (La Boulie) and won the Championship of this club in 1906, 1907, 1909 and 1921. His daughter, Pauline, was also a great golfer, winner of the French Ladies Championship in 1913 and runner-up in 1910. She won the French Ladies Close Championship in 1908, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1920 and 1921. The tournament was not played in 1911 so it’s fair to say that Pauline de Bellet won it five times in a row, demonstrating a strong domination over all the other ladies playing at that time.

Until 1910, and the construction of the Monte-Carlo Golf Club, the Principality of Monaco was subsidising the club with an annual donation of 3,000 francs.

In 1910 the club had a membership of 300. It was considered as one of the most important clubs in France. A friendly competition took place annually between the Nice Golf Club and Cannes Golf Club.

Nice Golf Club competition medal.

Nice Golf Links.

From The Tatler  18 February 1914. Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

A Covington was the club professional prior WW1.

From the Bystander Wednesday 8 December 1937. Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

From The Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News 15 February 1930. Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

After the war B Callaway was the head professional. Auguste Boyer, who started at the club as a caddy, was eventually given the job as caddy-master. He went on to become professional at the club; he also won many tournaments in the 1930s.

View from the first tee in the late 1920s.

Article from The Bystander 5 February 1930. Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Putting out at Cagnes-sur-Mer. John Llewellyn collection.

Nice Golf Club guide from 1929.

Looking towards the former golf course with the racecourse in the background (features of the course can still be made out).

Above, recent pictures (2014) of the area once occupied by the Nice golf course (now “hippodrome de la Cote d'Azur”). Images courtesy of David Heath - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At the time of WW2 the secretary was Captain A Ratigan; professional, A Boyer; green-keeper, G Vinay. The station at Cagnes was one mile away. Visitors’ fees were 50 franc per day.

Nice was high profile club in a very attractive and large tourist place. The club disappeared following WW2.

The Google Map below pinpoints the area of the former course.