It is thought that Lord Stanley was dissatisfied with the increasing number of Sunningdale members which should come as no surprise for a man who was said to own eight houses yet didn’t live any of them. Of course, this couldn’t be true when considering Lord Stanley’s parliamentary career. In fact, he lived in a large estate near Sunningdale when sitting in parliament. It is also thought Lord Stanley found the gambling at Sunningdale distasteful, perhaps an early life financial difficulty due to gambling which required family assistance raised his ire. Finally, it may have been the club’s attitude toward women. Lady Stanley's wfe, Lady Alice, favoured golf and for some time wasn’t permitted to play Sunningdale. Yet, being a Captain of the club, committee member and life-long member of the club, it doesn’t seem likely that the above reasons made Lord Stanley a driving force behind Swinley Forest. However, Lord Stanley (now the 17th Earl of Derby) was in favour of Swinley Forest’s founding when the subject was first raised by Colt at a Sunningdale May 1909 committee meeting. The minute of a new course near Sunningdale discussion between Colt and Colt’s near neighbour, Mr Davey, was recorded by Harry Shapland Colt, then Secretary of Sunningdale. By the time of this committee meeting Colt was a growing force in course design with original work at Rye, Le Touquet’s La Foret and Stoke Poges, plus current projects such as Northamptonshire and Denham under his belt. Additionally, as an advisor for Alwoodley, former Captain of the Cambridge golf team and member of the R&A Rules Committee, it is clear Colt was well regarded in both Scottish and English golf circles. With that high regard came powerful personal relationships. In October, Alexander Davey & Colt met to further discuss the idea of purchasing land for the purpose of founding a golf club. Because of his experience in helping to establish Sunningdale, Sir Hubert Longman was enlisted to aid the fledgling project.
While the various parcels of land were being obtained by Davey (a well known solicitor), Colt was exploring the property and eventually settled on a 179-acre plot of land for his 18-hole design. Davey managed to secure good lease terms for the large majority of the needed land from the Crown Estates. It isn’t clear to me, but somehow the Earl of Derby became intimately involved with the project at this point. He invited his friends to join the enterprise. Lord Derby decided that 100 bonds at £100 each would be issued based on his membership approval. Colt was to be the Secretary with the responsibility of designing and building the course. It is likely that by this time Colt thought course design would be a lasting profession. Ingeniously, Colt engaged GA Franks to essentially prepare the land. This is the same Franks who later famously worked with CD Harris and formed what is thought to be the first specific golf construction company (Franks, Harris Bros). Incidentally, Colt was instrumental in organizing this arrangement.
Clearing up to 14,000 trees, Colt worked with the idea that the clubhouse would sit just above Boden’s Ride, very near Davey’s cottage along the 18th fairway. The rail line would border the opening six holes and the large wetlands in the centre of the property would not be used due to drainage costs. The wetland’s border is highlighted on the 5th by the pond built in the 90s(?). Colt was fastidious in ensuring the course drained well. To this point he built drainage ditches and pipes were laid. Many of these ditches remain in use today. Swinley is often noted for its use of vegetation to retain a sense of a natural setting . Colt’s assistant, August Legouix, planted gorse, broom and rhododendrons. Additionally, when we consider the plateaux par 3s, raised greens and bunkers in the pads below green surfaces, Swinley Forest is in many ways the quintessential Colt course. Remarkably, it was a scant 28 months from the time the idea of Swinley Forest was first discussed to the opening date of 30 September 1911. Rather harshly, Lord Derby decided work needed to be done on the 1st. His wife, Lady Alice, was not able to make the carry over the stream on the 1st hole. Lord Derby set aside £400 to rectify the issue. When he next played, the first fairway was remodelled with the original stream piped and the approach less steep. Lord Derby was well and truly the master of Swinley Forest.
For nearly 80 years Swinley Forest trundled along as a busy little club, but very much out of the limelight. There was one club competition, no club fixtures, no captain, no club tie, no scorecard, no par, no club logo, no bar, the club couldn’t issue handicaps as it wasn’t a member of the golf union and the course had never been properly measured. Much of this changed when Ian Pearce was hired as the Secretary in 1988. He had the course measured and found it wanting at 5920 yards. This was soon rectified by extending the 1st by 26 yards and the 5th by 6 yards. This would achieve the required length to retain a SSS of 69 to a par of 68. A scorecard soon followed! I originally played the course at 6062 yards circa 1992. In recent years the course has been extended to 6431 from the back tees to a par of 69/SSS 71. There are also tees set at 5917, 5451 and 4956…perfection. It is easy to mix and match one’s way around to play a course to suit one's mood and conditions. Beside these cosmetic changes, the crumbling house was repaired/upgraded and new bar added. The course was altered a bit. During the first winter of Pearce’s reign, the 3rd green was enlarged, a new 18th tee built nearer the 17th green, the 16th green was remodelled to be flatter. In later years a pond was built on 5. To pay for the changes, membership numbers were increased from 225 to 325, dues and entry fees were doubled and more visitors paying higher fees were permitted. Minor changes have continued over the ensuing three decades which to some degree have eliminated the mystery of Swinley and brought it much more in line with other top tier London heathland clubs.
An unpreposessing start. Nevertheless, in uncooperative weather, the 1st can play much longer than its listed 364 yards. The steep drop-off to the rear of the green is unforgiving.
A 1912 photo of the green. The contours are obvious as are the newly planted trees down the left of the fairway.
#2
While conditions have improved dramatically over the past 10 years, features such as this hollow remain buried in rough. I notice the rear bunker was removed and it seems like mounding has been added. I lost my ball in heather and rough not 3 yards off the green
A clever short two-shotter, the sting of the third isn't clear until at the green. Approaches from the right will be shrugged to the left side of the green. For good reasons #4 is a celebrated par three. It is often called a Redan, but this is only true in a vague sense of the word.
An old photo of the 4th reveals that not much has changed.
Behind the green showing the tee to the left and the 5th in the background.
More to follow.
Ciao