History & Heritage

1871

The course is extended to 18 holes. The Field states ‘the golfing ground on Wimbledon Common is one of the finest courses in the country equal in extent and superior in number and variety of hazards to St Andrews’.

Henry Lamb wins the Silver Cross at the R&A. (1st prize Spring Meeting scratch medal).

History & Heritage

1872

Wimbledon Ladies’ Golf Club is formed.

History & Heritage

1873

Henry Lamb wins both the Royal Medal and the Silver Cross at the R&A.

History & Hertitage

1877

Henry Lamb becomes Honorary Secretary.

Tom Dunn (the Club Professional) challenges the former Open Champion Tom Morris to a match at the Club over 36 holes. Dunn wins 5 and 3.

History & Heritage

1878

Henry Lamb wins the Royal Medal at the R & A.

History & Heritage

1879

Henry Lamb commences debate with Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lumsden (the President) to remove Lord Elcho’s power of veto. He also proposes a change to the structure of the Club’s committee so that non-Corps members could be 50 % of the committee and could Captain the Club.

History & Heritage

1881

The civilians claim the name The London Scottish Golf Club and the Corps put inverted commas around ‘London Scottish’ in their name.

History & Heritage

1882

The Club moves formally to Camp Cottage on a 21 year lease. Laidlaw Purves is charged with leading a group to ‘apply their minds to the whole of the rules of golf’ as Clubs are individually responsible. A letter is written to The Prince of Wales requesting that he continues as Patron of the Club after its name change. Henry Lamb writes to the Home Office to request that the prefix ‘Royal’ be included in the name.

History & Hertiage

1885

The Club puts its proposal for a national conference on the rules of golf to the R&A.

History & Heritage

1886

Alexander Patrick of Leven becomes the Professional and is one of several applicants, who include Willie Park Jr. of Musselborough and the Professionals from Hoylake, North Berwick, Southport and Dunbar, reflecting the high esteem in which the Club is held.

In June, J.H.Taylor, an Open Champion and one of 55 applicants, is appointed as the Professional.

Henry Lamb loses the final of the first formal Amateur Championship. The Club is one of the seven original sponsors of this trophy, a fact recorded on the trophy.

History & Heritage

1887

Henry Lamb and Laidlaw Purves travel to Sandwich to seek land for a course that Club members can play on. The mission is a success and Laidlaw Purves designs and establishes Royal St Georges.

History & Heritage

1891

Harry Colt wins the Queen Victoria Vase at the R&A.

History & Heritage

1893

Royal Wimbledon Ladies communicate their wish to Laidlaw Purves to establish an Open Championship for Ladies. He presides over a meeting of the 15 leading Ladies’ clubs. This meeting agrees to the formation of the Ladies’ Golf Union and Miss Isette Pearson (a member of the Club) becomes the progenitor.

History & Heritage

1898

Lena Thomson wins the English Ladies’ Championship.

History & Heritage

1903

Sir Robert Finlay, Club Captain 1896/97, becomes Captain of the R&A.

History & Heritage

1905

Brigadier General Sir David Kinloch, who later becomes Captain of the Club, is made Captain of the R&A.

History & Heritage

1907

Royal Wimbledon begins to construct a new course, designed by Willie Park on 240 acres of Warren farm.

V.A. Pollock wins the Queen Victoria Vase at St Andrews.

History & Heritage

1910

Bernard Darwin writes in ‘The Golf Courses of the British isles‘, ‘If the Royal Wimbledon member wishes to play on a Sunday, he need nowadays only walk out of the back door of his Club House and he is on his private golf course. A wonderful place is this new Wimbledon course…’.

History & Heritage

1919

The Captain (Stephen Fairbairn) commissions Harry Colt to design a new course. Colt’s response is to advise the Club that it is brilliant land for making a golf course.

History & Heritage

1920

Field Marshall Earl Haig, a member of the Club, is made Captain of the R&A.

History & Heritage

1921

Roger Wethered wins the Royal Medal at the R&A. He makes his first appearance in the Walker Cup. In the Open (as an Amateur) he ties for first place with Jock Hutchinson. He loses the play-off.

History & Heritage

1922

The Prince of Wales is made Captain of the R&A.

History & Heritage

1923

Roger Wethered wins the Amateur Championship.

History & Heritage

1924

Colt’s course is formally opened by the past Captain Colonel G.A. Malcolm. There follows a match with the Oxford & Cambridge golf society which is halved.

History & Heritage

1927

V.A. Pollock wins the Queen Victoria Vase at the R&A.

The Club subscribed to the Golf Illustrated fund 'for the purpose of sending a number of Professionals to America… to compete in the US Open Championship and to take part in the first official bi-annual international "Ryder Cup" match against the American professionals at Worcester, Mass'.

History & Heritage

1928

The Prince of Wales is made Captain of the Club.

History & Heritage

1930

The Duke of York, a member of the Club, is made Captain of the R&A.

History & Heritage

1934

Bernard Darwin, a member of the Club, is made Captain of the R&A.

Roger Wethered wins the Silver Cross at the R&A. He plays in the Walker Cup team for the sixth and final time.

History & Heritage

1937

Roger Wethered wins the Royal Medal for the third and final time at the R&A.

History & Heritage

1938

A 60 year lease is granted by Wimbledon Borough Council.

History & Heritage

1939

Arnold Bentley wins the English Championship at Birkdale.

The Club introduces the team putting competition on the putting green which is described by Henry Longhurst as the best of its kind and Darwin writes, ‘the Wimbledon putting course seems to me, if I may respectfully say so, a model of what a course should be’.

History & Heritage

1952

A.V.Bridgeland wins the Queen Victoria Vase.

History & Heritage

1983

Russell Dailey retires as Professional and is replaced by Hugh Boyle who played in the 1967 Ryder Cup, has represented Ireland in International matches and won tournaments at home and abroad.

History & Heritage

1986

A 300 year lease is secured from the Borough of Merton for £300,000 with a peppercorn rent.

History & Heritage

2002

Hugh Boyle retires as the Club Professional and is suceeded by David Jones.

History & Heritage

2004

The sixth hole is redesigned to prevent balls going in to the gardens on the right hand side of this fairway.

History & Heritage

2009

Major refurbishments to the Club House are made. The Men's changing rooms are converted from the 'rabbit warren' of small rooms which were probably the original bed rooms to Camp Cottage.

History & Heritage

2011

The Artisans section is dissolved by agreement with the remaining Artisan members. Extensive work begins on a redesign and reshaping of the first and eighteenth holes. To finance these alterations a bond of £350,000 was raised from the Members.

History & Heritage

2012

The new first & eighteenth holes are opened at the Spring Meeting.