Kevin
I believe your comment just backs up my previous statement. The History of the club has been under research for well over a year and yet there is very little on offer, proving my point about the clubs management abilities.
Nick Pearce (who makes some rather good miniature golf clubs and cards) is undertaking the research on behalf of the club, but all the information is at hand.
The Gosset Family is now based I believe in Australia. They started the process around 1853. My understanding of the early history is as follows.
The Rev Isaac Gosset in the early 1850’s was introduced to golf at St Andrews by his brother-in-law General Moncrieff. The Reverend being based at Northam Priory Westward Ho was visited by his cousin a Captain William Gosset (Royal Engineers) in 1854. William was a Member of Prestwick Golf Club while based at Aye.
It was William who suggested that Northam Burrows, the linksland at Bideford Bay would be an ideal site for golf. A quote from Isaac’s son Geroge ‘from that date onwards, golf was played on the Burrows’.
We jump forward to 1858 when records show that the Gossets of Northam purchased golf clubs and balls from Old Tom Morris at Prestwick. According to D Campbell/P Crabtree in their new book on Old Tom confirm that the sum of 5 pounds 9 shillings and 6 pence was paid to Old Tom which included wooden clubs at 3s 6d, irons 4s 6d and gutta balls at 1s each. The connection was through Captain William and a close friendship was formed with the Reverend and Old Tom. This developed in Isaac inviting Old Tom to stay in 1860. He stayed for over 4 weeks in which time he completely redesigned the basic course and introduced & taught the friends of the Reverend the game of golf. Old Tom’s second visit was in 1864 to again re-design and modify the course ready for the formation of the club and registration. His second visit was likened to that of a celebrity. The following quote is from the Rev I Gosset
‘on August 8th (1864),Tom Morris arrived to assist in laying out the links. He played in foursomes daily and attracted some of the county magnates as spectators. He found walking up Bone Hill at the end of a day’s golf a bit tiring. He put in eight days of play’.
It is also worth noting that the Reverend also kept a record of Old Tom’s play every day and worked out his average for each hole. This must be one of the earliest records of working out Par. The history goes on, but because of the inability of the club to post their full history I thought that those who are interested might like to understand how golf started in the west of England.