Oxhey Golf Club
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox golf facility
|golf_facility_name =
|image =
|caption =
|location = Watford, Hertfordshire, England
|imagesize = 265
|establishment = 1912
|type = Semi-private
|owner =
|operator =
|holes = 18
|tournaments = McVitie & Price Tournament;
News of the World Match Play
|website =
|course1 =
|designer1 = Harry Vardon
|par1 = 72
|length1 = {{convert|6539|yd|abbr=on}}
|rating1 =
|slope1 =
|record1 =
|image2 =
|imagesize2 =
|caption2 =
}}
Oxhey Golf Club was a golf club located near Watford in Hertfordshire, England. The Harry Vardon designed 18-hole golf course was host to several important tournaments including the News of the World Match Play and the McVitie & Price Tournament.
History
Oxhey Golf Club, located near Watford in Hertfordshire, was opened informally on 4 May 1912. The event was commemorated by a match between Harry Vardon, designer of the course, and Ted Ray, who had been appointed as the club's professional. The match was won by Ray, 4 and 2.{{cite news |title=Two new courses opened |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/19120506/114/0007 |access-date=29 March 2023 |work=The Sporting Life |date=6 May 1912 |page=7 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}} Ray served as the club professional until 1940.{{cite web|title=Britain From Above|url=http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw020992|website=BritainFromAbove.org.uk|date=15 May 1915|accessdate=7 July 2015}}{{cite web |last1=Askew|first1=Terry|url=http://ouroxhey.org.uk/page_id__227.aspx?path=0p4p79p88p |title=Oxhey Golf Club – Part 4: McVitie & Price Tournament 1921 |accessdate=4 July 2015}}
=First World War=
A little more than two years after the course was opened for play, the First World War began on 28 July 1914 and the war had a detrimental effect on the club, causing 58 members to resign. Of that total were eight women members who also submitted their resignations. Five of the groundskeepers joined the army and still more volunteered but were not eligible for service. Nineteen of the caddies also answered the call for military duty. The club's steward joined the Royal Marine Pension Reserve and reported for duty at Gosport.{{cite web|last1=Askew|first1=Terry|title=Oxhey Golf Club – Part 1|url=http://www.ouroxhey.org.uk/page_id__225.aspx?path=0p4p79p88p|website=OurOxhey.org.uk|accessdate=7 July 2015}}
By 5 May 1916, the war had already taken a toll on Oxhey caddies and greenkeepers with 5 casualties: 2 killed, 2 wounded, 1 prisoner. Among the club members there were 9 casualties: 3 killed, 5 wounded, 1 prisoner.{{cite web|last1=Askew|first1=Terry|title=Oxhey Golf Club – Part 2|url=http://ouroxhey.org.uk/page_id__225.aspx?path=0p4p79p88p|website=OurOxhey.org.uk|date=15 May 1915|accessdate=7 July 2015}} In May 1917, the course had fallen into disrepair due to a lack of groundskeepers. By then some 84 members were serving in the army or navy, and a groundsman had been killed and another was a prisoner of war.
==Poor course conditions==
The bunkers were suffering from the play of lambs and sheep who were also drinking water from the water boxes near the tees. A fire at the club had destroyed the caddie master's and professional's shed but the structures were quickly rebuilt. The winter of 1915–16 had been very cold and it was beneficial to the course. The deep freeze helped to drain the course in the spring of 1916. In the prior year there had been mud problems on the course since there had been a three-year stretch without frost, two of which were exceptionally wet.
==Post First World War history==
A problem with worms on the course{{cite web |last1=Askew|first1=Terry|url=http://ouroxhey.org.uk/page_id__224.aspx?path=0p4p79p88p |title=Oxhey Golf Club – Part 3: Tenth Annual General Meeting |accessdate=7 July 2015}} had erupted by May 1920 and getting rid of them had become a priority. The course was reported as being in a "shocking condition" as a result of five years of neglect of the greens and damage caused by grazing sheep. By this time the club's greenkeeper had returned to work at the course after the war but his physical condition was reported as "badly damaged". Hunters had been shooting grouse on the course but were ordered to cease.
File:McVitie and Price Tournament - Oxhey Golf Club - 1921.JPG
By 1921, the condition of the course had been improved to the point that it was selected to host the 1921 McVitie & Price Tournament. The English professional Abe Mitchell won the 1921 tournament by two strokes from Joe Kirkwood, Sr.
=Closure=
In 1944, plans were approved for Oxhey Place to be redeveloped as a "cottage estate".{{cite news |title=Oxhey plan approved |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19441020/043/0003 |access-date=29 March 2023 |work=News Chronicle |date=20 October 1944 |page=3 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}} The golf club ceased to operate on 31 October 1946.{{cite web| last1=Askew| first1=Terry |title=Oxhey Golf Club – Part 4|url=http://ouroxhey.org.uk/page_id__227.aspx?path=0p4p79p88p|website=OurOxhey.org.uk |accessdate=7 July 2015}} The golf course continued to be operated by the local council{{cite news |title=Oxhey public golf course |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002511/19470410/093/0004 |access-date=29 March 2023 |work=The Observer and Gazette |date=10 April 1947 |page=4 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}} until it was permanently closed on 31 March 1952, with plans to convert the course and clubhouse into playing fields and a community centre.{{cite web |title=Oxhey Golf Club, South Oxhey. (1912 - 1952) |url=https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/central-east/hertfordshire/569-herts-oxhey-golf-club-herts |website=Golf's Missing Links |access-date=29 March 2023}}
=Oxhey Park Golf Club=
In 1991, a new 9-hole course was built, which opened as Oxhey Park Golf Club.{{cite web|title=Oxhey Park Golf Club |url=http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse/coursedir/hertfordshire/oxheypark.html |website=golftoday.co.uk |archive-date=27 June 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040627174425/http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse/coursedir/hertfordshire/oxheypark.html |via=Wayback Machine}} It has since closed.
Major tournaments hosted
Oxhey was scheduled to host the final stage of the News of the World Match Play in 1914, but the tournament was cancelled following the outbreak of World War I. The club also hosted the inaugural Vagliano Trophy in 1931.
Photo gallery
File:Clubhouse front view.jpg|Clubhouse front
File:4th Green.jpg|4th green
File:Oxhey 7th hole.jpg|7th hole
File:Oxhey 13th green.jpg|13th green
File:Oxhey 15th green.jpg|15th green
File:Oxhey Clubhouse side view.jpg|Clubhouse side view
File:The Sphere - 18th January 1913.jpg|Cars parked at clubhouse
File:Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News - Saturday 4th November 1922.jpg|Ted Ray putting
File:TED RAY PHOTOS070 - 2.jpg|Ted Ray at Oxhey
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{coord|51.6331|-0.3889|display=title}}
Category:Golf clubs and courses in Hertfordshire