Roehampton Polo and Golf March 1987

Trevor Leggett was head of the Japanese Department of the BBC.

Leggett At Bbc1969

This is one of his broadcasts to Japan

Zubari for March 1987

Hello listeners. I have been looking at a newly published History of Roehampton Club, which is my golf club, founded at the beginning of this century. From my home in West-Central London it takes only 20 minutes to get there.

Most of the roads are wide, and at about 8 a.m., which is when I go to golf, there is little traffic going out of London. There is a lot of traffic coming in, but that does not hinder us golfers.

The history of the club is a sort of mirror of changing society in England. It was founded as a polo club. Polo was introduced into Britain from India about 200 years ago. It was a sport for rich people, who could afford to own three or four of the small horses.

Among the members were the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and in the book there is a photograph of him playing polo in 1925. Another member who became famous was Winston Churchill – the photograph of him on horseback (looking very slim as a young man!) is dated 1920. The then King of Spain was a member in 1920, and there were several Indian Maharajahs, experts at the traditional Indian sport.

Another rich man’s game played at Roehampton was croquet; today some of the national croquet tournaments are still held at Roehampton.

Tennis was introduced, and the 37 courts were very popular. Tennis is not necessarily a rich man’s game, and this was a gradual move to widening the membership.

Some of the members suggested opening a 9-hole golf course, and in the 1920’s this was extended to 18 holes. Polo became less popular, because there were fewer rich idle men willing to spend the time and money on the game. It has the weakness of most sports – after about 45 the physical deterioration of balance and co-ordination – and especially, speed – makes it difficult for senior men to play with men 20 years younger.  The average age of the membership of the club was increasing.

Golf is ideal for the older man. Speedy reactions are not needed at all. Even in my 70’s, as I now am, I can still get some pars, So I can compete against much younger opponents.

So, golf gradually drove out polo. Forty years ago, I saw polo still being played at Roehampton; the polo field was just beside one of the fairways, and occasionally one would find a hoof-mark on the fairway, But polo finally ceased in 1955.

Golf was triumphant, and the standard was high, because the club professional was a brilliant teacher, George Gadd, who was also a well-known tournament player.  He was specially noted for very accurate iron play. It is very interesting that he was able to adapt his technique to a most unusual situation: namely that owing to some defect of metabolism, he began to get very fat. In the end, though he did not eat much, he got so fat that he could no longer see the ball when he stood in front of it for an iron shot!

Most golfers would have given up the game. But George Gadd managed to adapt. He stood with his right-front towards the ball, so that he could just see it round the edge of his great stomach. And, amazingly, he could still play his wonderfully accurate iron shots, landing right beside the pin again and again. He could still do this, until the illness killed him.

Well, the Club has adapted to modern times. It is no longer mainly for rich men, though we have some Ambassadors. The members are mostly professional men and their wives. We are lawyers, accountants, doctors, and there are a couple of BBC men, namely John Newman and myself.

We have squash courts, a very big ornamental garden, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, billiards, and so on, in addition to 20 tennis courts, and the famous croquet ground.

Well, listeners, how much do you think the entrance fee would be, and how much the Annual Subscription? I will pause five seconds to give you time to guess, and then I will tell you.

(Music 5 seconds)

The entrance fee is £400, and the annual subscription is £300. Surprised? Did you guess this?

Till next time, Sayonara.

© Trevor Leggett

 

 

 

 

 

 

Similar Posts