Dietrich Quanz, Geert Nijs watching Stéphan Alan, Geert and John here Filanovitch, practicing a chole club, Chantilly 2006 together with David at Bad Ischl, 2008 John during a presentation at Goteborg, 2012 Ia in Forrester, John Hanna, Geert Nijs , Brussels 2013 John Hanna, Geert Nijs with Huguette Kazmierczak John with his wife Mavis (right) Brussels 2013 and Virginie Massion (left) at Valescure 2015 Mavis, John and Poul-Erik Jensen, Valescure 2015 John at the British Golf Museum, St Andrews 2017 The European Association of Golf Historians & Collectors 19 19 EAGHC Spring 20 – golfika N°23 N°23 Contents Page President’s words, David Hamilton 4 Editor’s corner, Stéphan Filanovitch 5 In Memoriam John Hanna & Geert Nijs, a short tribute, JBK 6 Sospel – The Mentone GC, JBK and Patrick Didier 9 Alexa Glover. A few words, JBK and Patrick Didier 15 1962, Le Touquet golf stamp, Stéphan Filanovitch 17 La Nivelle GC – From dark years to renewal, Guy Lalanne 20 Spy Games in Berlin, Olaf Dudzus 24 An object, a champion: Dave Thomas, 1959, S. Filanovitch 28 Reading books 29 Preparing Next EAGHC Meeting 30 Massy at the opening of the Aberdeen Balnagask Golf Club 31 The front cover of Golfika Magazine n°23 is after a painting by Viktor Cleve of the Bad Ems Golf Club. Viktor, an EAGHC honorary member is a Germany’s leading golf painter. As a former art director, he kindly designed the cover page for Golfika-Magazine. Pictures illustrating the various articles are provided by authors or from personal collections. Imprint and disclaimer Golfika is the magazine of the European Association of Golf Historians & Collectors (EAGHC) The views and opinions printed within are those of the contributors and cannot intend to represent an official EAGHC viewpoint unless stated. The price of this magazine (two issues per year) is included We welcome new members – you will find all necessary in the EAGHC annual membership of € 30.00 p.a. The information on how to join our association on magazine can be sold to non-members of the EAGHC at www.golfika.com €10.00 + postage & packing. The European Association of Golf Historians & Collectors No part of this publication may be reproduced without written (also: Association Européenne des Historiens et consent of the editor. The copyright for articles on collecting Collectionneurs de Golf) is a non profit association, and/or history of the game to the authors of each article. No officially registered at Sous-Préfecture de Mantes la Jolie, part of such article may be reproduced without the written France according to the French Law 1 st July, 1901. Now consent of the author. located in Nice. golfika – the magazine of the European association of golf historian & collectors Page 3 Pr esident’ s words David Hamilton Arrangements for our autumn 2019 meeting are style, sending in celebratory images from all over looking good and with an attractive hotel, a golf the world. course nearby and a museum visit, all our needs are met. The amount of time given to presentations are a feature of our meetings, and we always come away enriched. The British and American societies have less emphasis on lectures, but in Britain we have added on the ‘Literati of the Links’ gatherings to the golf meetings. The recent Literati meeting in St Andrews was a success and we hope to repeat it as a larger event here in early 2020. We would be delighted to welcome contributors from Europe. Golf on the Old Course is possible (with mats) and green fees are economical at that time. John Hanna was a founder member and a good friend of the EAGHC, and his bright mind and enthusiasm kept him going in good spirits in spite of increasing health problems. The story is told that he was travelling so often between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, that the authorities became suspicious and he was stopped and his car searched. All that the police found were hickory golf clubs, and they concluded that since he could not afford proper clubs, he could not have been a serious smuggler or terrorist. This image is one of me involved in the laborious The American GCS has rebranded itself as the hot metal letterpress printing methods. However, Golf Heritage Society, acknowledging that the the literary output is rather slow and accordingly traditional collector members have now been I’m accepting modernity and moving on to the joined by many hickory golfers. Their magazine new print-on-demand (POD) methods. The cost has been relaunched as The Golf and it aims to of colour printing, even good colour printing, has follow the path of Through the Green and come down remarkably and with self-publishing Golfika. I detect the strong leadership of Pete methods anyone with a good golf history project, Georgiady in all of this, especially their idea of but a low budget, can publish it quickly and having a ‘National Hickory Golf Day’ in May. economically. On the day, the world of golf is encouraged to put away the steel clubs and play in the older Page 4 golfika – the magazine of the European association of golf historians & collectors Editor’s Corner Stéphan Filanovitch Dear EAGHC members, Then, with a very interesting article about Sospel, Here is your 2019 Spring Golfika issue. JBK and Patrick Didier bring us lots of information on Mentone GC, a defunct golf I want to begin this edito with a return in 2018, course. which was really a sad year for the EAGHC, with three deaths. Again, by JBK and Patrick Didier, the discovery or rediscovery of Alexa Glover, a great Sospel After our honorary president Lally Segard, Geert player. Nijs and John Hanna passed away. With a new member, Guy Lalanne, you will learn I met them for the first time at our inaugural a little-known history of the pre and post WWII meeting at Chantilly, in 2006 and I knew period from La Nivelle. Welcome and many immediately that the EAGHC will be a friendly thanks Guy! We hope more articles. association with such people. Our dear friend Olaf Dudzus tells the fascinating I will always keep you in my thoughts. story of Berlin GC … and secret services! Some unexpected links. When I started to collect about golf, it was with the stamp thematic; and I thought that it could be the opportunity to share with you the story of the Le Touquet stamp. To conclude this issue, you will read a nice text on the opening of the Aberdeen Balnagask Golf Club: in 1905 Massy was already a distinguished guest for a match against Simpson. John and Geert – Brussels 2013 This magazine begins of course with a tribute to our friends, RIP. WARNING: We definitely need more articles for Golfika-Magazine. And new contributors are expected. Please send us even a one short page paper. Please, use this address: [email protected] golfika – the magazine of the European association of golf historian & collectors Page 5! In Memoriam John Hanna and Geert Nijs A short tribute JBK, on behalf of the Board We would like to give here a warm celebration to two of our strong friends and supporters in the EAGHC: John Hanna who passed away on December 2 nd , 2018, and Geert Nijs who preceded him on September 1st . Our thoughts are with them and their beloved wives, Mavis and Sara, and relatives. RIP. John last months. Association of Golf Historians and Collectors ”. His suggestion was soon agreed. In May 2017, we spent a few days holidays with John and Mavis at their home at Hillsborough, Our first in person get together happened several Northern Ireland and a short time later, we had months later for the inaugural meeting at our EAGHC meeting, at Saint Andrews, where Chantilly. Alan Jackson was unable to join and he was so fantastic. We didn’t kn ow that this suggested that John Hanna, the then Captain of would be the last time we would see him. the BGCS, and David Hamilton represent the BGCS to this meeting. Just before the Pau meeting, he proposed a paper on Roger McStravick ’s action to unveil the headstone of Jamie Anderson, which was published in the previous issue of Golfika Magazine. He also offered to make a lecture in Pau during our AGM. But early in September, just two weeks before the meeting, we got an e- mail from his daughter Debbie informing us that her father was very ill, in an hospital, and couldn’t join the meeting. We were having regular news from Debbie and some were encouraging, but more were sad and, on the day just after December the 2 nd , we got the Hard times. After Lally this spring, John passed away information that we shall miss John forever. in december. They are here at the Chantilly “inaugural” meeting in 2006. Group photo below. Memories of some good times with John. Our first closer relationships with John started early in 2006 when we were fine-tuning the creation of our Association. At that time, we were hesitating about the name we should take. One idea was to call it CGCS (after, [American]GCS and BGCS, the CGCS seemed natural) but John was the first to tell us that when you say “continental”, you have no clue on which continent you are talking about, and he suggested to use the name: “European Page 6 golfika – the magazine of the European association of golf historians & collectors We added a full page of pictures to remind us of Geert Nijs and the EAGHC.