Royal Jersey Golf Club Channel Islands

Jersey, and in particular the Grouville Links, can fairly claim to be a cradle of great golfers. Harry Vardon and Ted Ray were both Open and US Open winners and Ray was the first Ryder Cup Captain in 1927. Both were born in Grouville and are commemorated on the course, Vardon in particular for his six Open wins, a record unequalled to this day. They, together with Vardon’s elder brother Tom, Phillippe Gaudin and his brothers, the Boomer brothers (winners of many Open titles in continental Europe), the Renoufs and many others who turned professional, were collectively and famously known from the 1890’s to the 1920’s as the ‘Jersey School’.

A former member was the Hon. Michael Scott who won two Australian Open and Amateur titles, the French Amateur and was twice selected for the Walker Cup. He was probably best known as the oldest winner of the Amateur Championship being 55 years and a grandfather at the time, in 1933.

This fine tradition has been carried on by Tommy Horton MBE, the former Head Professional at the Club, with his South African Open title, British Masters title, Ryder Cup selection, his record of five years at the top of the PGA European Seniors Order of Merit table and his reputation as one of the gentlemen of golf; and Curtis Cup Player Carol Gibbs (nee Le Feuvre).

The course itself occupies Grouville Common which comprises 160 vergees (about 70 acres) of rolling, sandy heath land and is bordered to the East by the magnificent coastline which was so admired by Queen Victoria that she commanded it to be named the Royal Bay of Grouville. In the 18th Century the common was popular for duelling and during 60 years of the 19th Century the annual horse races were held there, the scene was such a carnivalesque affair that the artist PJ Ouless painted it in 1849.

A group of enthusiasts in Jersey, led by FW Brewster and encouraged by many officers of the Militia, mapped out an 18-hole course which, in 1878, was opened as The Jersey Golf Club. A year later the Lieutenant Governor received the Queens warrant to add “Royal” to the Club’s title.

The course virtually remained unchanged until WWII when the Germans occupied the Island and the Links were transformed into a minefield, which included many anti-tank traps, but the scars have healed; one bonus was that they caused to be built the concrete sea wall that streches from Fort Henry along to Fort William bordering the first four holes.