A new 80-page book detailing the 130-year history of Hampstead Golf Club (HGC) aims to help members as well as local residents understand how the Club was created out of Hampstead Heath and thus help protect its heritage and sustainability.
Riding the wave of interest in golf during and after the Covid 19 pandemic, HGC now boasts a total of over 600 members across all categories which is easily more than the 9-hole club has ever recorded
It is now hoped that the coffee table-style, full colour history book will help the club maintain this membership total and hence the Club’s sustainability as members understand the legacy they now help manage.
“We are proud of our history, but the Club has no definitive record of its history. In the past, a 36-page booklet was prepared in the centenary year, 1993,” says Chairman of HGC’s management committee, Jeremy Charles. “This year is the first time we’ve been ready to publish an in-depth volume that gives our full story and highlights our connections to, not only some of the great names in the history of UK golf, but the Club’s founders who were scions of Victorian society and whose family names are well known today.
“North West London is a competitive area for new golf club members and the book will help tell our story and differentiate our background. Understanding our history and being proud of it, while seeking to modernise and keep up with the times, reflects our commitment to values which underwrite our particular brand,” says Jeremy.
The History of Hampstead Golf Club 1893-2023 chronicles how the original Tom Dunn-designed course also bears the fingerprints of other golfing greats: J H Taylor and Harry Colt. In addition, Open Champions including Henry Cotton have enjoyed the course over the years – indeed, Cotton delivered a famous quote about HGC that if someone could play to their handicap at Hampstead, then they could play to it anywhere.
“There has been such a huge increase in information online since our centenary 30 years ago,” says Jeremy, “that we now know that HGC is linked to monarchs, prime ministers, war heroes and many celebrities. We have an interesting story and the book traces it in context with the history of Hampstead itself as well as London and the world of golf.”
HGC captain in 2008 and best-selling golf book author Ross Biddiscombe researched and wrote the book and it was designed by a former HGC member and acclaimed artist/designer Dee McLean. The first print run was delivered this month (March).
The History of Hampstead Golf Club 1893-2023 is available for purchase at £25 plus packing and postage via HGC’s office which can be reached on 020 8445 0203.
