The Halford Hewitt Explained

Founded in 1924,[1] The Halford Hewitt is a highly competitive golf tournament in Britain, where teams of 10 former pupils from the 64 schools that comprise the Public Schools Golfing Society compete. Each school fields five foursomes pairs, making 640 competitors in all. It is the largest scratch amateur event in the world in terms of starting competitors.

The Halford Hewitt has been described by the golf writer Nick Tremayne as ‘the greatest of all truly amateur tournaments’.

The Competitions

The Halford Hewitt Cup: teams of five pairs of golfers playing scratch foursomes knockout match play.

The Peter Kenyon Bowl: a handicap foursomes stableford competition open all members of an appropriate Old Boys Golf Society.

The Prince's Plate: a scratch foursomes knockout for first round losers in the main competition.

The Courses

The Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club is considered the spiritual home of the Halford Hewitt, offering a challenging test of links golf with arguably the most difficult back 7 holes in Amateur golf.

As the competition expanded beyond the capacity of a single club in 1950, the Royal St Georges Golf Club was invited to assist, and since then, half the field has played its initial two rounds at the Royal St Georges Golf Club.

In addition to the main event, the Peter Kenyon bowl has traditionally been held as a consolation competition that welcomes both competitors and spectators. This tournament is played at the Princes Golf Club.

More recently, in 2001, a knockout plate competition was introduced with the same format as the Hewitt, featuring teams composed of three pairs of golfers. This tournament takes place at the Princes Golf Club.

The Halford Hewitt Cup Results

!Year!Winner!Runner-up!Score
1924EtonWinchester4 to 1
1925EtonHarrow3 to 2
1926EtonWinchester3 to 2
1927HarrowRugby3.5 to 1.5
1928EtonCharterhouse3 to 2
1929HarrowCharterhouse4 to 1
1930CharterhouseUppingham4 to 1
1931HarrowWinchester3 to 2
1932CharterhouseRugby3.5 to 1.5
1933RugbyHarrow3 to 2
1934CharterhouseWatson's4 to 1
1935CharterhouseShrewsbury4 to 1
1936CharterhouseRugby3.5 to 1.5
1937CharterhouseLiverpool3.5 to 1.5
1938MarlboroughHarrow3.5 to 1.5
1939CharterhouseHarrow3 to 2
1940No Competition Held
1941No Competition Held
1942No Competition Held
1943No Competition Held
1944No Competition Held
1945No Competition Held
1946No Competition Held
1947HarrowCharterhouse3.5 to 1.5
1948WinchesterWatson's3 to 2
1949CharterhouseRugby3 to 2
1950RugbyStowe3 to 2
1951RugbyHarrow3 to 2
1952HarrowRossall4 to 1
1953HarrowWatson's4 to 1
1954RugbyWellington3 to 2
1955EtonHarrow3.5 to 1.5
1956EtonRugby3.5 to 1.5
1957Watson'sHarrow3 to 2
1958HarrowCharterhouse3 to 2
1959WellingtonCharterhouse3 to 2
1960RossallFettes4 to 1
1961RossallRugby4 to 1
1962OundleStowe3 to 2
1963ReptonFettes3 to 2
1964FettesShrewsbury3.5 to 1.5
1965RugbyMerchiston3.5 to 1.5
1966CharterhouseMalvern4 to 1
1967EtonWellington4 to 1
1968EtonCranleigh3 to 2
1969EtonUppingham4 to 1
1970MerchistonHarrow3.5 to 1.5
1971CharterhouseMarlborough3 to 2
1972MarlboroughHarrow4.5 to 0.5
1973RossallLoretto3 to 2
1974CharterhouseRugby4 to 1
1975HarrowMerchant Taylors'3.5 to 1.5
1976MerchistonWhitgift3 to 2
1977Watson'sMarlborough4.5 to 0.5
1978HarrowStowe3.5 to 1.5
1979StoweMarlborough3.5 to 1.5
1980ShrewsburyEpsom4.5 to 0.5
1981Watson'sCharterhouse3 to 2
1982CharterhouseDulwich4 to 1
1983CharterhouseShrewsbury3 to 2
1984CharterhouseMalvern3 to 2
1985HarrowShrewsbury4 to 1
1986ReptonMalvern3 to 2
1987MerchistonTonbridge3.5 to 1.5
1988StoweBradfield4.5 to 0.5
1989EtonShrewsbury3 to 2
1990TonbridgeMalvern3 to 2
1991ShrewsburyLancing3.5 to 1.5
1992TonbridgeMalvern3.5 to 1.5
1993ShrewsburyClifton3 to 2
1994TonbridgeStowe3 to 2
1995HarrowWatson's4 to 1
1996RadleyMalvern3 to 2
1997OundleHarrow3 to 2
1998CharterhouseTonbridge3 to 2
1999Watson'sTonbridge3 to 2
2000EpsomMerchiston3.5 to 1.5
2001TonbridgeBradfield3 to 2
2002CharterhouseWhitgift3 to 2
2003EdinburghCharterhouse3.5 to 1.5
2004TonbridgeMalvern3 to 2
2005TonbridgeRossall4 to 1
2006MalvernSherborne3 to 2
2007Watson'sEpsom4.5 to 0.5
2008TonbridgeMalvern4 to 1
2009TonbridgeMerchant Taylors'3 to 2
2010CliftonCharterhouse3 to 2
2011Watson'sMalvern3.5 to 1.5
2012CharterhouseEpsom3 to 2
2013EtonTonbridge3 to 2
2014MerchistonBradfield4.5 to 0.5
2015EtonKings, Canterbury4.5 to 0.5
2016TonbridgeRadley3 to 2
2017EpsomAmpleforth4 to 1
2018WinchesterAmpleforth4 to 1
2019MalvernAmpleforth3 to 2
2020No Competition Held
2021LorettoSherborne4.5 to 0.5
2022LorettoTonbridge3.5 to 1.5
2023LorettoEpsom3 to 2
2024EtonBedford4 to 1

The Prince's Plate Results

YearWinnerRunner-up
2001CharterhouseUppingham
2002MarlboroughAmpleforth
2003TonbridgeSt. Paul's
2004BradfieldRugby
2005WellingtonChigwell
2006EpsomRepton
2007LiverpoolHarrow
2008WhitgiftBerkhamsted
2009AmpleforthRossall
2010RadleyEdinburgh AC
2011CanfordWinchester
2012LorettoHurstpierpoint
2013HaileyburyThe Leys
2014Edinburgh ACAmpleforth
2015SherborneEpsom
2016The LeysMerchiston
2017Merchant Taylors'Bedford
2018MalvernEdinburgh AC
2019LancingEpsom
2020No Competition Held
2021EpsomHurstpierpoint
2022UppinghamThe Leys
2023BedfordForest
2024ForestEpsom

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Halford Hewitt history. 3 September 2015.