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South Norwood Golf Club. (1913 - WW2)
In 1913 it was announced that a new 9-hole course was being laid out on the site of the old Norwood club in Surrey. Additional ground adjacent to the cricket and tennis grounds and bowling green had been obtained.
A 9-hole course on 30 acres adjoining the cricket and bowling clubs with a membership of 200. Entry fees were £3/3/0 and subs £2/2/0. Visitors’ fees on introduction were 2/6 a day. Ladies were not allowed to play on competition days. The station at Norwood Junction was 10 minutes was. Good accommodation was provided at the clubhouse for members and friends at moderate charges.
In 1914 the secretary was W H Smith at the Golf Club, South Norwood Park and the professional A Rix.
Result of the Captain's Cup, presented by R Millar, played in May 1914 over 36-holes; B C Hunter, 146 net; W Payn, 151 net; S Salomon, 152 net. The nine-hole prize presented by H H LeMay was won by J Seaton Reid, 33 net.
In the final of the Summer Tournament played in August 1914 C Moat beat P Phipps by 4 and 3. The monthly medal was won by F E Tilton, 91-14-77.
The report below makes interesting reading, it also provides evidence that the club did survive following WW1.
From the Dundee Evening Telegraph Wednesday 16th November 1921. Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Result of the Coronation Cup, presented by W Austin; J L Knight, 71-12-69; E A Wood, 79-16-63.
The competition for the 36-hole Captain's Prize was played in June 1938 and finished in a tie, scores; G E Mead (15,) 63 and 59, 122; R A Atterton (17,) 59 and 63, 122. G E Mead first prize on second 18-holes.
Results from the autumn meeting played in October 1938; Four-ball better ball - L J Chapman (18) and S G Irwin (20,) beat R L Frith (14) and E C Hoblyn, both pairs finished four up with Chapman and Irwin having a better back nine; Greensome foursomes - W R Bracey (21) and A M Moon (9,) 62, won on better back nine against R L Frith (14) and E C Hoblyn (14.)
Presentation night at Norwood Golf Club in March 1939.
From the Norwood News Friday 10th March 1939. Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Report on the annual meeting in March 1939.
From the Norwood News Friday 17th March 1939. Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Thanks to Mr A E London who shared is memories of Norwood Golf Club in 2004. “When I was a lad many moons ago in the 1930s & 40s I lived in Lancaster Road, South Norwood, which is very close to South Norwood Lake, next to the lake was South Norwood Sports Club, which included tennis courts, cricket pitch and golf links. The golf links were bounded to the south by Norwood Lake and to the north by Sylvan Road, to the east was the railway line which ran from Norwood junction to Crystal Palace and to the west was Auckland Road. During WW11 part of the course was fenced off and used by the military as a gun site, they also had a searchlight and barrage balloon, which would sometimes get loose and trail its cable over the roofs of the nearby houses. Although it was a military site, we were still allowed to roam on the parts of the course which were not fenced off. Friends and myself, one of whom lived in a house in Auckland Road backing on to the golf links even made our own cricket pitch on a flat part of the course. We “borrowed” his father’s lawn mower to cut the long grass. I spent many happy hours roaming, playing cricket and climbing trees on the golf links as we knew them. In 1944 a V.1 flying bomb (doodlebug as we call them) landed at the top end of the links, enlarged one of the bunkers! considerably! and blew out all the windows of the church which stood on the corner of Sylvan Road and Auckland Road. After the war the military left and the site was cleared but it was never reinstated as a golf course. I believe that now it is just open land and is designated as a park. Part is fenced off with swings and roundabouts for the children, but of course these days they cannot roam on their own as we did when we were young!”