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Home > Europe > England > South East > Holtye
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Golf club Holtye, Edenbridge, South East, England
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See all records related to this club
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Address data
(Golf club 32413)
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| Club name: |
Holtye Golf Club
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| Country: |
England
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| State: |
South East
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| Street 1: |
Cowden
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| Street 2: |
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| City: |
Edenbridge
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| Zip/post code: |
TN8 7ED
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Description
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"Holtye Golf Club began its existence as the Liliput Golf Club in April 1893. We are indebted to Admiral Maxwell who lived locally, whose son Charlie was a founder member and whose daily journal recorded in great detail such gems as:
Thursday 6th April 1893: "Weather the same and looks as if it would never change again. I walked to Cowden this morning and in the afternoon, Charlie and I walked to Holtye Common with Verney Darbishire and Mr. Morley, where they, Charlie and the others looked out a place for a golf links, and amused themselves knocking a golf ball about."
Monday 10th April 1893: "Charlie spent the morning on Holtye Common playing golf with Verney Darbishire.."
Thursday 28th September 1893: "Charlie took a lot of tobacco tins to Holtye Common to fit into his golf holes."
Finally, on 30th November 1893, the birth of the Club was formally registered. "I dined with Mr. Young at the Green Farm where there was a meeting of the members of the new Liliput Golf Club. After dinner, rules were arranged and a committee selected. Charlie is a playing member of the Golf Club and they have made me Vice-President."
Oh how very satisfactory - no years of seeking planning permission, no protests from the local residents, no calling in
of eminent golf architects to reshape the natural landscape with giant earth movers.
They called themselves the Liliput Golf Club, not as an allusion to Gulliver's Travels, but because Gulliver was the name of the genial and eccentric landlord of the White Horse Inn, which became a very convenient "19th hole".
Thus the birth of our nine-hole golf course was a delightfully amateur affair.
Where Holtye once enjoyed equal status to the likes of Royal Ashdown in terms of its exclusivity, the Liliput Club being the private playground not only of the local gentry it also boasted many titled members, the De La Warr family in particular being Club Presidents for decades.
The Liliput name was dropped in favour of Holtye Golf Club in April 1906. However, the Club was to suffer times of hardship and not only in the war years did it come near to closure and it would become the poor relation to the more illustrious local clubs.
Now in modern times it no longer needs to live in the shadow of these larger clubs, certainly not in terms of course quality and condition, nor in its financial security, its practice facilities, its Pro Shop which is more than a match for its rivals, and its clubhouse facilities although not lavish, are both charming and appropriate for our size.
Harry Gibb was Professional at Holtye Golf Club from 1932 to 1950. His weekly wage was £2 - 10 - 0 in 1932 and his contract was renewed in 1939 at the same figure and, even in those inflation-free days, it seemed a rather meagre reward.
He kept the club going through and beyond the war time years and was succeeded by his assistent Alf Ashby (pictured left). Sadly no photograph is available of Harry Gibb although his golfing line flourishes to this day.
Alf Ashby was the pro from 1949 - 1957 and was a fine golfer. We do not know how he came to be featured on the front page of the famous Golf Illustrated magazine but this photograph of Alf having a pint outside the White Horse Inn adjacent to the first tee must have made him a star!
Left: November 1952 issue of Golf Illustrated
One of the most exciting golfing events that took place to celebrate the Club's Centenary Year was an 11-hole exhibition match featuring our own Pro Kevin Hinton and some very famous names, all Sussex-based Golf Professionals.
They were;
Brian Barnes, former Ryder Cup player and regular winner on the European Tour; Paul Way, also a former Ryder Cup star and past PGA Champion, a Nevill GC junior who played regularly at Holtye when young; Jamie Spence, another Nevill junior and a current top player on the European Tour.
Over 100 members braved deteriorating drizzle to watch a keenly contested 'skins match' where each"
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