Moor Park Golf Club

Moor Park Golf Club
Club information
Moor Park Golf Club is located in England
Moor Park Golf Club
Location in England
Moor Park Golf Club is located in Hertfordshire
Moor Park Golf Club
Location in Hertfordshire
Coordinates51°37′41″N 0°26′56″W / 51.628°N 0.449°W / 51.628; -0.449
LocationRickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England
Established1923
TypePrivate
Total holes36
Events hostedBritish PGA Matchplay;
Evening Standard Tournament;
Silver King Tournament;
Lotus Tournament;
Spalding Tournament;
Esso Golden Tournament;
Wills Tournament;
Uniroyal International;
SOS Talisman TPC;
Bob Hope British Classic;
Women's British Open (1985);
British Women's Matchplay;
Spalding Women's Open Stroke Play;
Carris Trophy
High Course
Designed byHarry Colt
Par72
Length6,717 yards (6,142 m)
Course rating74.8
Slope rating142
West Course
Designed byHarry Colt
Par69
Length5,833 yards (5,334 m)
Course rating68.8
Slope rating121

Moor Park Golf Club is a country club located in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England. It has two eighteen-hole golf courses, the High Course and the West Course, of which the High Course has hosted many professional and elite amateur tournaments, including the Women's British Open in 1985.

History

Moor Park Country Club was founded in 1923, with three golf courses set within the Moor Park estate, and Moor Park Mansion as its clubhouse. Sandy Herd was the club's first professional.[1]

The club was reformed as Moor Park Golf Club after the courses were acquired by the local authority in 1937 for use as a public open space,[2] intended to be part of London's green belt.[3][4] The club retained the use of two courses, with the third becoming a municipal facility.[5]

The club currently has approximately 1500 members, of whom 1000 are golfers, the remainder being composed of tennis members and social members. The club is run by a board of directors, all of whom are unpaid club members.

Golf courses

The golf courses at Moor Park are wooded parkland in nature and were designed by Harry Colt.[6] The High Course is the longer of the two, and is considered "championship standard".[7] The West Course was created from the first nine holes of the original No. 2 (West) Course, a few holes from the old No. 3 (East) Course, and several new holes.[4]

Major tournaments hosted

Moor Park was a regular venue on the British PGA tournament circuit, which later became the European Tour, through to the end of the 1980s, hosting the British PGA Matchplay Championship (1925, 1932, 1970, 1972), Evening Standard Tournament (1925–1926), Silver King Tournament (1936–1953), Lotus Tournament (1952), Spalding Tournament (1954–1960), Esso Golden Tournament (1961–1967), Wills Tournament (1969), Uniroyal International (1976–1977), SOS Talisman TPC (1979) and Bob Hope British Classic (1981–1990). It has also hosted many elite women's events, including the Women's British Open in 1985, the British Women's Matchplay and the Spalding Women's Open Stroke Play; and elite amateur events, including the Carris Trophy from 1935 to 1987 and every fourth year subsequently.

Moor Park was featured in Sir John Betjeman's BBC TV documentary Metro-land (1973).

References

  1. ^ "Sandy Herd's new appointment". The Nottingham Evening Post. 23 April 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "Purchase of Moor Park club's courses". The Yorkshire Post. 17 March 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Future Of Moor Park". The Times. 19 March 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  4. ^ a b "Moor Park and Moortown". The Yorkshire Evening Post. 23 April 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Moor Park's future". The Advertiser and Gazette. 23 April 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Moor Park (High)". National Club Golfer. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  7. ^ Smith, Rob. "Best Golf Courses In Hertfordshire". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 29 March 2023.