Mundesley Golf Club, which opened 125 years ago this year, is celebrating its milestone with a special weekend of events in April – and is keen to plan for the future as well as toast its illustrious past. Here, some of those involved explain more
A seaside golf club is turning the clock back to Edwardian times to mark a major milestone in its history. The 125th anniversary of Mundesley Golf Club in April will see members dressed in period costume and using vintage wooden-shafted clubs for a special competition. But a full weekend of celebrations will also include fun family events to attract newcomers as the club looks to the future as well as toasting its illustrious past.
The club was opened in 1901 having been designed by one of the leading golfers of the day Harry Vardon – a six-time winner of the Open Championship, who also pioneered new golfing dress style and invented a new grip method before turning his hand to course construction in later life.
Highlights of Mundesley’s big weekend are the renaming of the clubhouse bar to reflect its history on Friday April 10, a 1901-themed competition the next day, and a classic car show, fete and live music plus junior competition on the Sunday.
Club manager Tom Sharpe said: “Our club has a fantastic history with its links to the great Harry Vardon, but we also like to think it has a great future – so our anniversary is an ideal moment to combine nostalgia with ambition.
“It will be a fun weekend for members and allcomers alike, and we will encourage anyone to pop in to join us, whether they are golfers or not.”
Club chairman John Sewell added: “Celebrating 125 years is a proud milestone for our club and a tribute to the generations who have built the friendly, welcoming place we enjoy today.
“As we honour that history, our focus is firmly on the future — investing in our facilities, supporting our members, and embracing new ideas to ensure the club continues to grow, evolve, and thrive for generations to come.”
The club prides itself that its nine holes in rolling countryside close to the coast are a test for all abilities, and that it has a range of memberships for all ages and pockets. It shares its campus with a driving range which has just introduced Toptracer technology.
CLUB HISTORY
- Mundesley’s birth in 1901 came during golf’s boom times as the railways brought waves of new visitors to the “Poppyland” area which found particular favour with the gentry.
- Course designer Harry Vardon used the natural contours of the rolling countryside to make a golfing challenge that rewarded accuracy
- Two years later he spent time at the neighbouring hospital being treated for tuberculosis. While recuperating he wandered down the lane to have a round of golf – and scored a hole-in-one which was a tonic in his recovery.
- The course had nine holes when it opened, added another nine in 1922, but returned to nine in 1939 when land was ploughed for crops in the wartime “dig for victory” campaign.
- The current clubhouse was built in 1975 replacing the original wooden structure.
- The last big anniversary celebration was in 2001 when it marked its centenary with a host of events including period fancy dress.
- Today’s club has a wide range of competitive and social golfing events, while its teams, from juniors to seniors, have celebrated success at county level, including the Ladies being the current holders of the Norfolk Gillieson Cup.
For more details of the anniversary weekend events visit mundesleygolfclub.com, follow the club’s Facebook and Instagram pages or call 01263 720095.
Featured image of Club members (left to right – Rabbie Bunn, Bev Fowler, Ryan Clarke, Caroline
Shipp and Steve Clark) – by Richard Batson
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