FAIRWAY TO GO
When the Badgemore estate was put up for sale by the McAlpine family in 1970, Henley locals Tony Duke (estate agent) and Godfrey Paddick (architect and surveyor) got together to explore what opportunities could exist for the 120 acres and associated buildings. The estate comprised: Badgemore House, Entrance Lodge, West Lodge, Garden Cottage, Stable and Garage Block with two flats over, Indoor Riding School, The Shetland Stud (adjacent to the walled garden), The Lodge, Home Farm (known as Badgemore Stud Farm) and 120 acres of land, railed gallop paddocks and surrounding woods and parkland. After much deliberation, they decided to purchase and develop the estate. Badgemore House, Home Farm (with 20 acres of land), West Lodge, Garden Cottage, The Orangery and the temple by the 18th tee were separated from the estate. Garden Cottage was purchased by Cyril Stevens (who went on to become the golf club’s first club champion). Tony Duke demolished The Orangery in the 1980s, building and then living in The Bothy, and Godfrey Paddick converted the temple into a small lodge. The remaining buildings and some 100 acres of land were developed as a golf and country club. The Shetland Stud occupied the land where the ninth green now sits and was removed when the course was created. Richard McDougall, who became the club’s first professional, recalls: “In the early 1970s I was teaching Herman Paddick, a senior member at Henley, whose nephew Godfrey Paddick was part of a group who had purchased land at Badgemore. They were working on what to do with
the estate – one option was to develop it into a fine golf course and upmarket club. He suggested that we meet to look at the project and asked if I would like to be the first club professional. This was very exciting, especially as new courses were fairly rare then. With such a prestigious location it was a great plan – and opportunity – as golf was rapidly gaining popularity at that time.” Tony and Godfrey joined forces with Harry Gold (solicitor and company director) and added Renee Paddick (schoolteacher) as a fourth director. Godfrey was an architect, and he designed the conversion of the stable block into the clubhouse. Godfrey’s father, Sydney Paddick, owned a building company based in Sonning-on-Thames and they carried out the building work. Having decided that golf was the way to go, Badgemore Park Golf Course was put into development. The directors secured the services of international golf course architect Robert Sandow (Bob) to design and build the course. As well having a love for golf, Bob had been a flight lieutenant in the RAF and fought in the Battle of Britain, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. He played alongside the likes of Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson during his membership of the USPGA. He also met and played alongside Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Andy Williams in pro-am tournaments and represented Canada in international matches. Bob turned his hand to designing and building golf courses and worked for a time with Robert Trent Jones, one of the world’s leading golf-course architects. He went on to become director of golf to the Shah of Iran and was building
“He suggested that we meet to look at the possible project and asked if I would like to be the first club professional. This was very exciting” - RICHARD MCDOUGALL
ABOVE: BOB SANDOW COURSE ARCHITECT
13 / THE LONG HAUL
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