TONY DUKE RECALLS: “To put some character in the far end and some
delineation between the holes, we were fortunate to be creating the course at the time of the Valley housing development. When they were on a third try at getting the roads carved out of the chalk and needed a place to dispose of it, we struck a deal with the contractor to clear the topsoil, deposit and grade the chalk and replace the topsoil to form our mounds of today, at the third and 11th fairways. Some 16,000 cubic yards were deposited with them paying the club two shillings and sixpence per cubic yard. That’s 12.5p! The initial cost to build the course and alter the stable block into the clubhouse was about £60,000 each.” Squash courts were constructed in the walled garden, with plans to build an indoor swimming pool and saunas at a later date. FROM FORMER CUBS AND LONG-TERM BADGEMORE MEMBERS KEVIN WOODS (PICTURED HERE ON THE LEFT) AND MARK STEVENS: KEVIN RECALLS: “We each carried a bucket, filled it and then threw the stones into a trailer that was being towed alongside” MARK RECALLS: “As an incentive one flint in the field had been marked with a symbol and whoever found that flint on the day won a prize – a compass if I remember correctly.” They have very fond memories of collecting stones and then sitting in the ‘barn’ (indoor riding school), to eat their sandwiches sitting on the straw bales that were stored in there.
The former stable block built by Richard Ovey in 1885 (by that time a six-car garage) was converted into a clubhouse, while Vlasto’s Badgemore House became offices. In 1971, a promotional flyer to attract members was produced. It contained a proposed course layout that included some interesting characteristics: the practice putting and 18th greens were located in the middle of what is now the car park, the fourth, seventh and ninth tees were all on one hexagonal teeing ground, the first and 10th holes shared a single teeing ground and the pro shop was located in the indoor riding school adjacent to the first tee.
15 / THE LONG HAUL
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