Lincoln Golf Club

Located in the small village of Torksey, on the east bank of the River Trent, the 18-hole layout at Lincoln Golf Club first opened for play in 1904. The club had been formed seven years earlier, with Willie Park Jr. setting out a 9-hole course on land next to the Carholme Racecourse.

J. H. Taylor, who’d won three of his five Open championships at the time, was invited to lay out the new 9-hole course and he took part in an exhibition match to mark the opening of the course against James Braid, with their professional game concluding a week-long series of club competitions that had started on Monday 13th June 1904.

Archie Earl was appointed as the club professional the following year – he would remain in post until 1951 – and he was then asked to extend the layout to eighteen holes. Additional land was acquired, and a horse purchased for £18 to assist with the heavy work.

On 12th May 1909, the new course was officially opened with another exhibition match involving George Duncan, who would later win the Open in 1920.

In the modern era, the course measures 6,410 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 71. Feature holes include short par fours at the 5th, 7th and 14th; the long, uphill 8th (rated stroke index 1) which doglegs left to the green; and the longest of the three par threes at the “signature” 188-yard 17th, where the heavily sand protected green sits behind a pond.