2nd Hole Prince ’ s Golf Club
THE EVER-EVOLVING ARCHITECTURE OF PRINCE ’ S GOLF CLUB
With the start of The 149th Open Championship just days away , final preparations are being made at Royal St George ’ s as the famous venue gets set to host the world ’ s greatest golf tournament for the 15th time in its illustrious history . What many people may not know is that Royal St George ’ s is , in fact , one of three Open Championship venues located within a stone ’ s throw from one another . Here we take a look at neighbouring Prince ’ s Golf Club , and the architectural developments that have made it one of Kent ’ s finest golfing attractions .
While steeped in history , Prince ’ s Golf Club offers everything that could be desired from a modern championship links destination situated in idyllic coastal surroundings . Prince ’ s is comprised of three 9-hole loops - The Shore , The Dunes and The Himalayas – that all have their own unique architectural and stylistic characteristics . Recent redevelopment , under the stewardship of renowned golf course architects McKenzie & Ebert , has given the club a modern edge while returning some of the original charm of the pre-war course that hosted the 1932 Open , won by the legendary Gene Sarazen .
Kent , took it upon himself to establish a new links at Sandwich that would , in particular , welcome lady , junior and family golfers .
Along with his Cambridge University cohort , Percy Montagu Lucas – who went on to become the club ’ s first secretary - Sir Harry put up most of the capital for the project , with the land being donated by the Earl of Guilford . Charles Hutchings , the 1902 Amateur Champion , was brought on-board as architect and he and Percy laid out the course in 1904 , before final works were completed late in 1906 .
A host of Local Final Qualifying for The Open Championship since 2018 , Prince ’ s also co-hosted The Amateur Championship in 2013 and 2017 and boasts a rich and emotive history since its inception nearly 120 years ago . The story of Prince ’ s starts at the beginning of the last century when Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley , a regular golfing visitor to East
A . J . Balfour , who served as Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905 , drove the first ball as Club Captain in the Founder ’ s Vase in the following June , and just five years later Prince ’ s hosted the 1912 English Ladies Open , won by Miss M Gardner .
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