Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club honoured

A special event commemorating the 50th anniversary of The Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club's closure took place last month at the Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club.

Dave Woodhouse, Shanklin's current captain, organised the Royal Clubs Day event, which took place on Friday August 10.

Mr Woodhouse invited a captain or representative from the other 'Royal' titled clubs around Britain to play for the Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club Trophy.

John Uzielli - a past captain of the R&A - and two other Royal and Ancient members were present, alongside representatives from Royal Aberdeen, Royal Country Down, Royal Ascot, Royal Guernsey, Royal Eastbourne, Royal St David's, Royal Jersey, Royal Winchester, Royal Blackheath, Royal North Devon, Royal Eastbourne, Royal Worlington and Newmarket, Stoneham and Wentworth.

In addition to the Royal representatives, past captains and past club champions turned up for the golf and subsequent festivities - including a lone piper performance and gala dinner - along with Martin White, Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight.

The Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club, founded in 1882, was one of Britain's first golf courses, and at one point challenged the pre-eminence of St Andrews as the source of the authoritative rules of the game.

In the club's heyday, its members included Edward VII, several European princes and monarchs and celebrities such as David Niven. Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, was also club president until her death in 1940.

At its height, The Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club possessed 11 internationals, with Horace Rawlins, one of the club's members, winning the first U.S. Open in 1895.

The club - now managed by the National Trust as open space - closed in 1962, and it's captain's board, trophies and memorabilia are now housed at Shanklin and Sandown.