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Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich

Coordinates: 51°17′28″N 1°22′22″E / 51.2911°N 1.3729°E / 51.2911; 1.3729
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Prince's Golf Club
The clubhouse
Club information
LocationSandwich, Kent, England
Established1906
Typeprivate
Total holes27 three loops of nine holes (“Shore”, “Dunes” and “Himalayas”)
Events hostedThe Open Championship
Websiteprincesgolfclub.co.uk
Designed byCharles Hutchings; Guy Campbell and John Morrison
Par107 (36 (Shore) 36 (Dunes) 36 (Himalayas))

Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich is a links golf course located in Sandwich in Kent in South East England. Prince's is immediately adjacent to the more famous Royal St George's golf club, and both clubs lie on the same stretch of coastline as nearby Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. It is notable for hosting the 1932 Open Championship.[1]

History

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Prince's was financed by Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley, built and designed by Charles Hutchings, the 1902 Amateur Champion on land donated by the Earl of Guilford. It was completed late in 1906 as an 18-hole course, and was the first course designed to counter the significantly longer Haskell ball. Club captain A.J. Balfour, a former British Prime Minister, drove the first ball in the Founder's Vase in June 1907.

The present-day 27-hole layout is the result of a 1950 re-design following war-time damage to the original course. World War II was very hard on Prince's, but Australian entrepreneur Sir Aynsley Bridgland intervened, engaging Sir Guy Campbell and John Morrison to re-design and restore the course. The new layout incorporated 14 of the original greens (but with most played from different directions to the original course), and eliminated any blind tee or approach shots. The re-design always envisaged a centrally located clubhouse, and this was finally opened in 1985 by Peter Alliss, allowing the 27 holes to be played in three loops of nine holes, known as “Shore”, “Dunes” and “Himalayas”, each starting and finishing beside the new clubhouse.

The Lodge (previously the clubhouse)
The fire damaged remains of clubhouse in 2009
The Lodge, opened in 2012

The original clubhouse still stands at the entrance to the course and adjacent to the 14th tee of Royal St. George's. It no longer serves as the clubhouse but instead has been completely renovated, called the Lodge, it opened in May 2012, with two adjoining buildings, which house 38 bedrooms, a brasserie and lodge.

Prince's is notable for hosting the 1932 Open Championship, which was won by the American Gene Sarazen. Sarazen debuted his newly invented sand iron at the Championship, and his original club was on display at Prince's for many years, until insurance costs became prohibitively expensive. The greenside bunker beside the 9th green on the Himalayas course, a bunker he played from on his way to victory, was unveiled as The Sarazen Bunker in his honour by Pádraig Harrington in June 2011.

Prince's is the only club to host The Open just once. The club remains an Open Championship Local Final Qualifying course, and hosted qualifying again in 2011 when The Open returned to Royal St. George's; Prince's professional golfer Francis McGuirk finished tied second to claim one of the three available spaces.

Prince's has also hosted various other senior and minor professional tournaments, and a number of tournaments for amateurs, including the 1956 Curtis Cup, the 2006 Amateur Championship (co-hosted with Royal St George's), the 2006 Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, the 2008 Senior Open Amateur Championship (co-hosted with Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club) and the 2013 Amateur Championship (co-hosted with Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club).

Shelter on the course

The late WWII ace, Member of Parliament and 1949 Walker Cup captain Percy Belgrave "Laddie" Lucas was born in the old clubhouse at Prince's, his father being the first club secretary. During WWII, Lucas used his knowledge of the course to make an emergency landing after his Spitfire was crippled over northern France. Today, a commemorative plaque by the 4th tee on the Himalayas course marks the spot where he landed. In memory of Lucas, Prince's hosts an annual golf tournament, the Laddie Lucas Spoon, for boys and girls aged 8–13 years.

Phil Mickelson and Gary Player are both honorary life members of Prince's Golf Club. Ladies European Tour player Helen Wadsworth is a former member and played at Prince's as a junior.

In August 2009 Troon Golf announced an agreement to take over course management at Prince's and the club has undertaken a number of renovations to the course.

Scorecards

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Princes Golf Club Scorecards[2]

Prince's Shore & Dunes
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Par Men's 4 5 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 36 4 3 5 4 4 5 4 3 4 36 72
SI Men's 6 12 16 4 18 14 2 8 10 3 15 11 1 5 9 17 13 7
Blue 74.8 / 128 452 562 189 415 158 423 434 568 442 3643 458 170 569 438 416 506 371 220 486 3634 7277
White 72.6 / 122 426 530 173 410 137 383 405 542 413 3419 440 155 527 408 394 495 357 198 462 3436 6855
Yellow 70.2 / 116 417 468 137 387 110 336 378 522 385 3140 420 150 484 375 365 460 325 186 424 3189 6329
Par Women's 4 5 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 36 5 3 5 4 4 5 4 3 5 38 74
SI Women's 9 7 17 3 15 13 11 1 5 4 18 6 12 10 2 14 16 8
Red 71.5 / 124 325 431 124 339 103 282 303 512 340 2759 400 140 397 315 324 415 286 151 364 2792 5551
Prince's Dunes & Himalayas
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Par Men's 4 3 5 4 4 5 4 3 4 36 4 5 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 36 72
SI Men's 4 16 14 2 6 10 18 12 8 13 5 11 3 17 1 7 15 9
Blue 75.2 / 136 458 170 569 438 416 506 371 220 486 3634 381 620 408 458 143 609 197 347 448 3611 7245
White 72.8 / 130 440 155 527 408 394 495 357 198 462 3436 377 575 372 433 135 556 190 312 426 3376 6812
Yellow 70.3 / 123 420 150 484 375 365 460 325 186 424 3189 363 540 312 391 116 524 170 289 378 3083 6272
Par Women's 5 3 5 4 4 5 4 3 5 38 4 5 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 36 74
SI Women's 5 17 3 7 9 1 13 15 1 14 6 12 4 18 2 8 16 10
Red 72.6 / 129 400 140 397 315 324 415 286 151 364 2792 348 500 294 335 103 470 141 278 349 2818 5610
Prince's Himalayas & Shore
Tee Rating/Slope 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Par Men's 4 5 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 36 4 5 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 36 72
SI Men's 14 6 12 4 18 2 8 16 10 5 11 15 3 17 13 1 7 9
Blue 75.2 / 133 381 620 408 458 143 609 197 347 448 3611 452 562 189 415 158 423 434 568 442 3643 7254
White 72.8 / 125 377 575 372 433 135 556 190 312 426 3376 426 530 173 410 137 383 405 542 413 3419 6795
Yellow 70.1 / 120 363 540 312 391 116 524 170 289 378 3083 417 468 137 387 110 336 378 522 385 3140 6223
Par Women's 4 5 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 36 4 5 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 36 72
SI Women's 13 5 11 3 17 1 7 15 9 10 8 18 4 16 14 12 2 6
Red 72.3 / 126 348 500 294 335 103 470 141 278 349 2818 325 431 124 339 103 282 303 512 340 2759 5577

The Open Championship

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Prince's Golf Club hosted The Open Championship in 1932.

Year Winner Score
R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1932 United StatesGene Sarazen 1st 70 69 70 74 283
  • Note: Superscript number besides the player's name is the number of the Open Championship in their respective careers.

References

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  1. ^ Sullivan, Paul (13 July 2022). "Some Classic Golf Courses Have Fallen Off the Open Schedule". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  2. ^ Source:<https://www.princesgolfclub.co.uk/play/course-overview>
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51°17′28″N 1°22′22″E / 51.2911°N 1.3729°E / 51.2911; 1.3729

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