Harry Vardon - One of ‘the great triumvirate'

"The more I play over the Deal course the more I like it, and I am glad to see it has been added to the Open Championship courses."

The Open Championship

The Open Golf Championship was originally played in 1860 at Prestwick in Scotland, at that time a 12 hole Links course - 3 rounds, 36 holes for the ‘Championship Belt', the original won by Willy Park from a mere 8 entrants.

Prestwick was its home for the next 12 years and for the last of these occasions, in 1872, the ‘Claret Jug' was presented. The Championship was moved to St Andrews in 1873 but the competition did not become 72 holes until 1891.

In the run up to the Open in 1909 there had been a lot of professional activity, but the first recorded professional event at Deal was in 1894, when Sandy Herd won just £15 for a 36 hole (4 rounds of 9 holes) score of 161, which shaded James Braid and Andrew Kirkaldy. The club funded £50 prize money which was paid to the first 15 places.

From 1905 there were challenge matches involving Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, James Braid. J.H.Taylor, Sandy Herd and Arnaud Massey the French player - the first ever from Europe. These attracted large crowds and in 1907 prize money had reached £1000!

Most of the leading players took part in the annual England versus Scotland match in 1908, which was convincingly won by England; also in that year plans were laid down to include golf in the Olympic Games to be held in London. Deal, St George's and Princes' were to stage the event but at the 11th hour the R & A refused to sanction it. It has never happened since.