Rowlands Castle

Portsmouth County Club was the venue for the inaugural meeting of Rowlands Castle Golf Club on 27th February 1904. A committee was formed, a set of rules agreed, and subscriptions set at two guineas for annual membership. Local brewer, Sir William Dupree, was elected president, a position he then held for thirty years.

The original 9-hole layout occupied land where the current back nine is located and the first clubhouse was a former railway carriage, known as The Pavilion, which was acquired for £10. In 1912, Harry Colt drew up plans to expand the layout but The Great Wat intervened and it took another decade before the work was completed.

To mark the inauguration of the new 18-hole course, an exhibition match was played between the club’s professional and George Duncan, the 1920 Open champion, who designed or modified a number of courses himself, including the Championship layout at Royal Dornoch.

The course remained largely unaltered until the early 1970s, when land was acquired to allow the addition of two holes – the present 4th and 5th – and the extension of another two holes to par fives – the current 12th and 17th – which now brings the layout in at a total length of 6,642 yards.