THE STORY BEHIND THE PICTURE – Golf News

Ernest Whitcombe and Alf Padgham

East Brighton Golf Membership, Sussex

August twenty fifth, 1937

In a sport that noticed the one centesimal finest participant on the PGA Tour earn over $1.6m million this yr, it’s straightforward to suppose that golf, as knowledgeable sport, has all the time been awash with money.

It’s definitely been the case because the arrival of Tiger Woods in 1997, which, nearly in a single day, elevated golf into a worldwide sport whose high gamers might begin to earn the form of sums that even skilled footballers would take discover of.

But it surely has gone to an entire new degree once more following the injection of Saudi cash into the sport over the past three years, which has served to bump up prize funds throughout the board to ranges verging on the obscene.

SMALL PRIZE MONEY

Whereas the likes of Palmer, Nicklaus and Participant did very properly out of the sport in the course of the Sixties and 70s, their bulging financial institution balances owe extra to their off-course enterprise acumen than any nice accumulation of prize cash.

However rewind 100 years or so and also you’ll discover a world the place membership professionals participating within the Open Championship used to squeeze in two rounds on the ultimate day simply in order that they might rush again to attend the wants of their members over the weekend.

On the flip of the twentieth century, the winner of The Open obtained simply £90, and it took a near-strike by the gamers the next yr for the highest prize to be raised to the princely sum of £115.

The paucity of prize cash on supply by means of the primary match channels led the sport’s high gamers participating in a lot of particular occasions backed by personal sponsorship, which introduced collectively a choose group of high gamers in a contemporary model of Professional-Movie star Golf, the place native businessmen stumped up massive sums to see the sport’s greats play on native programs.

EXHIBITION MATCH

Such was the case with East Brighton Golf Membership in East Sussex, which hosted a lot of high-profile tournaments in the course of the inter-war interval. In 1933, the good Walter Hagen teamed up with fellow American Densmore Shute to beat Alf Padgham and Charlie Parsons 6&5 in an exhibition match which noticed big crowds end up to look at their heroes in motion in such unfamiliar environment.

The membership additionally staged the Information Chronicle Match between the good and wars for a number of years after, with the £1,000 prize pot – equal to over £45,000 in at present’s cash, and twice what was being provided to that yr’s winner of the Claret Jug – not surprisingly attracting among the sport’s main stars, together with Padhgam, and different Open champions.

These included Henry Cotton and the brothers Reg and Ernest Whitcombe. Padgham was serving as head skilled at Sundridge Park Golf Membership in Kent on the time, and was the reigning Open champion when this image was taken, having received at Hoylake in 1936.

Like many high gamers of the period, Padgham misplaced what may need been a few of his finest aggressive years attributable to World Warfare II, so needed to play in occasions like these with a view to complement his revenue. He ultimately succeeded in successful the Information Chronicle Match in 1939.

FAMOUS FACES

Along with well-known gamers, East Brighton, which was based in 1893, boasts a powerful solid checklist of high-profile connections, with the Downs-based membership having fun with many superstar and royal members throughout its 130-year historical past.

One among its first vice-presidents was Billy Butlin, founding father of the eponymous vacation chain, whereas the Duke of Norfolk was president for greater than 30 years.

Amongst well-known former members embody Prime Minister Lloyd George, who joined in 1911, together with international secretary Arthur Balfour, and Subject Marshall Earl Haig, who lived in Brighton in the course of the Twenties.

Whereas East Brighton’s heyday may properly be behind it so far as well-known members are involved, its picturesque 6,402-yard downland format stays one of many best checks within the county and, the membership continues to get pleasure from a wholesome patronage from native golfers who little doubt achieve as a lot enjoyment from the historic venue as their illustrious predecessors as soon as did.