Moor Park Golf Club Explained

Moor Park Golf Club
Pushpin Map:England#Hertfordshire
Pushpin Relief:y
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in England##Location in Hertfordshire
Coordinates:51.628°N -0.449°W
Location:Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England
Establishment:1923
Type:Private
Holes:36
Tournaments:British 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
  • Course1:High Course
    Designer1:Harry Colt
    Par1:72
    Length1:6717yards
    Rating1:74.8
    Slope1:142
    Course2:West Course
    Designer2:Harry Colt
    Par2:69
    Length2:5833yards
    Rating2:68.8
    Slope2:121

    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] The club retained the use of two courses, with the third becoming a municipal facility.[4]

    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.[5] The High Course is the longer of the two, and is considered "championship standard".[6] 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.[7]

    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.

    In popular culture

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

    Notes and References

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