In September 1890, a group of outstanding and innovative Sutton Ladies managed something completely unique in the history of golf – they founded a golf club without men.
The Club, now known as “Banstead Downs Golf Club”, has just celebrated its 125th Anniversary and marked it with the publication of a new book “The First 125 Years”.
Filled with beautiful images of wildflowers – the Downs are a Site of Special Scientific Interest – and biographies of the lady founders, “the book has turned out to be a 125 year ‘History of Britain’ told through the archives of a golf club” commented author Ian Pearce.
But all the archives were nearly lost, thrown on the skip during the Club’s recent renovation work. “If it hadn’t been for Maggie Lester, our club’s sharp-eyed Commis Chef, who clambered into the skip and rescued them, 125 years of history would have headed to the local tip” commented the current Ladies Captain, Carol Pearson.
A special presentation was made to Maggie at this week’s book launch by two Lifetime Honorary Members of the club; Ross McGowan, 2009 European Tour winner and a modern ‘Sutton Lady’, Vivien Saunders OBE - founder of the Ladies European Tour.