Open Champion Plays Rowlands Castle’s 18 Holes

The inaugural meeting of Rowlands Castle Golf Club was held at the Portsmouth County Club on 27th February 1902 when a committee was formed, a set of rules agreed and invitations extended to interested persons to subscribe 2 Guineas (£2.10p) to cover 2 years’ membership. Sir William T Dupree was elected President - a post he held for 30 years.

The first clubhouse was a used railway carriage, which was purchased for £10 and was known as the Pavilion since many members were also members of Havant Cricket Club.

The club started as a 9 hole layout enclosed by the land of todays back nine although the detail of the individual holes has changed somewhat. Needless to say, all the work to construct the course was carried out without the assistance of any mechanical equipment, only shovels, horses and muscle power! The mounds seen on today’s course are a leftover from the original work when the spoil from leveling the ground was just left in heaps.

In 1912 plans were put forward to extend the course to 18 holes but The Great War intervened and it was not until 1922 that the new layout, designed by the famous golf architect, Harry Colt, was opened.

To celebrate the opening an exhibition match was arranged between our club Professional, A. Hamilton and the world famous George Duncan - Open Champion in 1920. The new course remained almost unchanged until 1972/3 when land was purchased to add two additions holes - today’s 4th and 5th - which enabled the creation of two new par 5 holes - today’s 12th and 17th - giving us a course of over 6600 yards.

Today the club is one of the most highly rated in Hampshire for both its facilities and its outstanding course with full watering for dry summers and excellent drainage for wet winters.