Chapter Twelve: the Stars Are Coming Now, 1958-93
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CHAPTER TWELVE The stars are coming now, 1958–93 The new Club, 1958 Peter Alliss Seve Ballesteros Tony Jacklin and Nick Faldo Tournaments return ATS Pro-Ams The Orangery in 1958. Note that the glass roof created by Wilberforce Bryant at the turn of the 20th century for his new Winter Garden was still in place. It was later covered over in the 1960s. It is planned to restore the glass in the future. Wogan’s Pro-Am Golf Classic 218 STOKE PARK THE FIRST 1,000 YEARS 219 economies, the expense of maintaining adequate staff to provide catering and bar facilities in a Mansion Club House designed without regard to economical running, was found to absorb a disproportionate amount of the budget. In an attempt to reduce these overheads, the Committee replaced the existing kitchen in the basement with one at ground-floor level. Every possibility of saving money was considered, even the pulling down of the Coke monument, which presumably was costing money to maintain. However, a Dr W.O. Hassall of The new Club, 1958 the Bodleian Library, Oxford, wrote to Coke’s descendant, Lord Leicester, saying: Coke Monument at Stoke When the Mobbs family sold Stoke Park to Eton Rural I have visited the Stoke Poges Golf Course and seen the monument. It is District Council in 1958, the golfers formed a new Club and in a beautiful setting and I feel very handsome and I agree most heartily the directors soon realised the cost involved. They reported about it being a great pity if it is destroyed … to members at the end of their first year to 30 June 1959: Sir Edward Coke’s importance in the county of Buckinghamshire is far more important than that of being the greatest Sheriff that county ever has had, and the Monument is most important for its meaning and sig- There was a deficit of £495 [c. £12,000 in today’s money] on the first nificance. I believe that it is the only monument of our greatest Lawyer in year’s working of the new Club. In the opinion of your Directors, when it the home counties. I feel therefore that it is far more than a local, let The bar at the beginning of the local council ownership era. This was originally John Penn’s is remembered how much has been spent on the Course in labour, mate- alone a family, matter for it is a strange chance that the monument of the Banqueting Room and was converted into the Dining Room in 2008. rials and machinery, as well as on essential catering, bar and office equip- greatest champion of constitutional processes and freedom from dicta- ment, the size of the deficit is by no means discreditable; indeed it might torship should stand so near Runnymede. Coke’s monument marks the easily have been much greater if a rigorous control had not been imposed hope in which when he lay dying the enemies of the common law searched involving the preparation of monthly statements of income and expendi- his papers for seditious matters. ture. Careful consideration was given at the monthly meetings of the Committee to these statements, and appropriate action was taken to curb expenditure which showed any sign of extravagance. In particular, the On the golf course itself, the Committee found that heavy expenditure on indoor staff was a constant anxiety; despite many expenditure was also necessary, and told members: One of the fireplaces at the beginning of the local council ownership era. 220 STOKE PARK THE FIRST 1,000 YEARS 221 4. IMPROVEMENTS TO COURSE The Sports Turf Research Institute at Bingley was consulted and, as a is a road on the right but generally if you keep your head you should be result, a big programme of work on the greens has been carried out. In all right, but like all good golf holes this one is not quite as simple as it i. Greens. Of paramount importance to any golf course is the quality of my view the greens are as good as to be found anywhere in England. More seems. A very good one in my view. its greens. At the time of the Members’ Club take-over, the state of the work was carried out on making new teeing grounds and as a result there The eleventh is another truly magnificent short hole – very picturesque greens left much to be desired. No time was lost, therefore, in obtaining has been a great improvement. and very tricky. If you are not on the green off the tee then you can expect expert advice on turf management from the Sports Turf Research to be in (a) trees, (b) bunkers or (c) water. Institute, Bingley, and an improvement programme drawn up by that As we have seen, every golfer waxed lyrical about the 7th. This Another hole at Stoke Poges for which I have the most profound well-known body has since been faithfully followed. In addition, your respect is the seventeenth. I remember on my last golfing visit playing a Directors considered that the Secretary should attend a five-day instruc- was Tom Scott’s experience: poor second shot and the result was that I was in trouble and I think, if I tional course in Turf Management at Bingley. He did so in April last, and remember correctly, I finished in the ditch. I advise all of you to pay some the application of the knowledge acquired there has been one of the fac- There are many wonderful holes and it is not surprising that one or two respect to this second shot for if you do not, a ruined card can result. tors in the improvement in the course. of them have found their way into the ‘best eighteen’ of some renowned That, then, is just a brief description of some of the holes at Stoke writer or other. One such hole is the short seventh. I myself have most Poges, a course which is liked, even loved, by everyone who ever plays on ii. Bunkers. A Programme was carried out eliminating certain bunkers, unpleasant memories of it because it was there during a society competi- it. If you have not yet had that privilege then I can say to you, put that reducing the size of others and removing mounds which prevented the tion that I came to grief. But even though it defeated me I had to bow to right as soon as you can. You will be made welcome and I know you will economical use of gang-mowers in the vicinity of the greens. The main its majesty. enjoy yourself. object of these alterations has been to simplify the maintenance work in order that the mechanised equipment can be used to full advantage. A He also wrote about some of the other holes which intrigued The dedication of the Committee and the staff brought the start has been made on the provision of suitable sand for bunkers, and this work will be continued 1959/60. him: Club and the golf course back up to the standard where ATS (Associated Tyre Services) were happy to sponsor a series of Cunning bunkering before you reach the green makes the first hole a dif- iii. De-worming treatment. During the autumn and winter of 1958/59, a ficult one with which to start and I fear that there will be more fives than Pro-Am tournaments from the mid-1970s onwards. de-worming programme was carried out covering approximately 6 acres anything else, with the more modest having to be content with a six. The The Globe had written the following tribute to the 7th: of fairway. Mowrah meal was the medium employed and 6 tons, costing siting of the green adds to the problems caused by the clever bunkering. some £162 in all, were used. The results were most satisfactory. I like the fourth by reason of the fact that it fights you from start to fin- Mr Harry Colt has provided the golfers of the world with many thrills, but ish. There is out-of-bounds on the right and although the big green in a iv. Course Staff. At the commencement of the year under review, the staff surely the seventh hole at Stoke Poges is more productive of thrills of corner of the course should not provide all that much trouble, the fact employed on the course comprised two full-time and one part-time pleasure and thrills of pain than any other hole in golf. Set at a diaboli- remains that even the best golfers find fours hard to get, mainly, I sup- adults and two youths; the weekly wage bill was less than £20 per week. cally difficult angle and bristling with trouble, the green can only be held pose, because of the sand traps on the left. Towards the end of the year, it had been found necessary to increase the by a ball perfectly played. No wonder the golfer’s heart rises in his mouth The seventh has been commented on and so I pass to the ninth which staff to four full-time and three part-time adults, and to recognise the as he sees his ball flying towards that narrow strip of greensward. In this provides some considerable difficulty to the player whose driving is what need for improving their conditions of service by raising their wages you might say ‘a bit off’. The tee-shot is over a hollow and the slope (including overtime) to over £50 per week.