Surrounded by suburbia, a mile to the east of Croydon, the course at Shirley Park Golf Club is a 1914 Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler production that remains almost true to the architects’ blueprint from more than a century ago.
The following passage is an extract from the club history: Shirley Park Golf Club - The first one hundred years:
In addition to the 18-hole golf course there was a 9-hole course in the grounds of Shirley Park Hotel, where Trinity School playing fields are today.
The original layout of the course was similar to that of today, except for three holes on the land behind the fifth green up to Oaks Road. A tee for one of these holes, then the fourth, can be seen as you leave the present third hole from the rear of the green down towards the new machinery barn.
The course was officially opened on Saturday 18th July 1914 by the then Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Vansittart Bowater.
A match then followed which featured two former Open Champions: five-time winner J H Taylor and Sandy Herd. J H Taylor went round the course in 73 (39,34) and Sandy Herd went round in 77 (38,39). Remember these scores were achieved with hickory clubs.
