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Effingham is part of England which is steeped in history. From 493 when Aeffing, a Saxon Noble, built his ham in the area and gave us the name of Effingham, the land of Effingham Golf Club has changed hands through many famous people.
A manor on the site of our present Club House (1347) was owned by Sir John de Poultney who was five times Lord Mayor of London. It was, with the dissolution of the monasteries, that Henry V111th "acquired" the land and probably used the Manor to have his ministers "on call" for nearby Hampton Court. It is possible that Henry, a keen huntsman might even have found the area attractive for his sport!
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The Manor and land was gifted by The Royal Tudors to the "Howard's" and remained in their family for over 100 years. Lord William Howard (Henry V111th's Lord High Admiral) passed the house and land to his son Lord Charles Howard who commanded the English Fleet against the Spanish Armada - hence the names for our current "Armada room" and "Elizabeth lounge". A feature of the Club House is the oak beam in the Armada room which bears the date 1591.
The Present Club House
Our present Club House is Georgian in style and was reconstructed in about 1770. The recessed wings were added in 1880 and either side of the house are ancient Cedars which feature as our club emblem.
The Golf Course
Before 1800 village fields were divided into strips for local residents to farm and our practice area still has signs of "ridge and furrow" strip farming. A field near Warren farm used to be used for the ancient "St Laurence fair" and skeletons from a Saxon burial ground have been found during excavations.
Our course was designed and set out in 1927 by Harry Shapland Colt, perhaps England's most famous golf course architect, who designed 300 or more courses world wide
Visitors to Effingham Golf Club should enjoy the golfing challenges of Colts well designed course. They might also reflect on the words of Robert H K Brown (Golfing; June 1931), as they walk down the 18th fairway on a spring or summer day, that Effingham Golf Course is a "Surrey woodland paradise".
Once in the Club House visitors should enjoy a drink and reflect on our historic past.
