British Golf Collectors' Society
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A Brief History of the B.G.C.S.
In 1987, several British
members of the US Golf Collectors' Society (GCS) gathered to consider
the possibility of a British Golf Collectors' Society. It was felt that
within the UK there were sufficient people interested in golf collecting
to warrant the foundation of a society in this country. So, on the 19th
February 1987, Peter Crabtree, Ray Gossage, Tony Hawkins, Tim Smartt and
Philip Truett met at The Naval & Military Club in Piccadilly; London,
to discuss the formation of this Society.
On 27th March 1987, a letter was sent to about 100
members of the GCS resident in the UK inviting them to be founder members
of The British Golf Collectors' Society (BGCS). The aims of the Society
were to be similar to those of the GCS, namely, `to introduce golf collectors
to one another, to encourage them to meet to correspond and to disseminate
news and information about our hobby through a newsletter', The letter
went on to say that we would also want to achieve: the publication of
a Newsletter; an Annual Dinner on the Wednesday prior to the Open; an
Annual Northern and Southern Golf Meeting; smaller gatherings of members
from time to time, including taking advantage of the Auction venues and
the publication of an Annual Membership Directory.
The first Captain of the Society was Ray Gossage, Hon
Secretary David Easbv, Hon Treasurer Tony Hawkins and Editor of the Newsletter
(to be called Though The Green), David White. Soon afterwards, Joe Murdoch
(co-founder of The GCS in 1970) 'most happily and graciously accepted'
an invitation to become the Society's the first Honorary Member. Initial
subscription was £5 and membership was open to 'residents of the British
Isles and Europe and British citizens resident overseas'.
The first official meeting of the committee was held
on the 21st May 1987. By this time Archie Baird had joined the Committee,
to represent the interests of those members living north of the border.
Ninety founder members had joined the Society. This number had risen to
121 by February 1988 and the accounts a t 31st December 1987 had shown
income at £703 and Expenditure of £673. Already requests had been
received from America for copies of Through The Green. These overseas
subscribers were later welcomed as associate members with full membership
rights, other than the right to vote or speak at general /special meetings
of the Society.
Events
There had been a social gathering of the infant society at Royal Mid Surrey
in December 1987 and the first golf meeting was held at Walton Heath on
June 17th 1988. A month later, prior to the Open at Royal Lytham and St.
Annes there was an eve of championship meeting at St Annes Old Links with
dinner at The Clifton Arms. This continued the tradition started at the
St Andrews Open of 1978 when John Beharrell and Bob Grant, under the auspices
of the GCS, organised the first British gathering. The Open Meeting remains
one of the most important and popular meetings of the year, attracting
international participation. The major competition at the Meeting is for
the Gossage Trophy, an antique bronze statuette of Harry Vardon presented
by Mrs Barbara Gossage in memory of her late husband Ray, the Society's
first captain, who died in 1994.
The first Annual General Meeting was held on 19th January
1989 in Chester coinciding with the Phillips auction, a tradition that
was to continue for a number of years. Organisation of an outing to Royal
Liverpool GC led eventually to the establishment of a President's Day
fixture at this venue, which also incorporated the AGM.
Over the years regional organisations have been established,
to enable local members to meet for golf and collecting talk. These areas
cover Scotland, the South West, the North, the South East and the Midlands.
With the great interest in collecting hickory shafted
clubs it is not surprising that a number of members have taken to playing
with these old clubs, whilst wearing period dress. The Scottish Hickory
Championship now played on the delightfully old-fashioned Gullane No 3,
although e first venue for this event was the historic Musselburgh Old
Links in 1985. The English Hickory Championship was played for the first
time at Rye Golf Club in October 1998. For this event The Founders Salver
was presented by the four surviving founding fathers.
The first hickory match was played against Aberdovey
GC in 1992 to celebrate their centenary. This is now played annually on
an Ancients v Moderns basis. Since then there have been increasing numbers
of hickory matches against clubs as part of their centenary celebrations.
A hickory match between the English and Scottish members
of the Society was inaugurated in 1995 at Gullane 3. It has subsequently
been played on each side of the border in alternate years, on such historic
courses as Kilspindie, Southerness, Musselburgh Old Links, Alnmouth Village,
Bamburgh Castle, Silloth on Solway, Seaton Carew and Goswick.
Awards
The Murdoch Medal was instituted in 1994 and commemorates the great contribution
to the collecting of golf memorabilia made by Joe Murdoch, the Society's
first Honorary Member. It is awarded to the member who has made a major
contribution to the heritage of golf.
John Behrend was elected as the first President of
the Society in 1996. He instituted the annual award of the President's
Medal for the best contribution to Through the Green. He was succeeded
by John Beharrell in 2000.
American Connections
Cordial relations are enjoyed with the GCS in America and the tradition,
whereby the President of that society becomes a member of the BGCS for
his term of office, has been established to forge that close link. A medal
was presented to the GCS on the occasion of their 25th anniversary. This
has become known as The President's Medal and is worn by their President
at official functions. The other co-founder of the GCS, Bob Kuntz, was
elected an Honorary Member of the BGCS in 1998.
The Society enjoys a large associate membership of
over 100 Americans, many of whom attend UK events. A hickory match of
twelve-a-side between European and American members of the BGCS was inaugurated
immediately before the 2000 Scottish Hickory championship. Format was
morning foursomes and afternoon singles, similar to Walker and Ryder Cups,
playing for an antique water pitcher that has been christened 'The Hickory
Grail'. The first two matches at Kilspindie in 2000 and 2001 resulted
in wins for the USA. European members made a return tour to New York State
in 2003 and won the Grail for the first time, over the historic course
of the St Andrew's Golf Club. In this match, as in the first, the contest
was decided by the last putt, on the last green, of the last match on
the course. The 2005 fixture at Kilspindie was halved, thus allowing the
European team to retain the trophy. The second American contest for the
Hickory Grail took place in October 2007 at Brook Hollow GC, Dallas, Texas,
when the USA team regained the trophy convincingly by 13 points to 5.
Today the Society flourishes with over 700 members,
based in all five continents, but particularly Europe and the United States.
Whilst the Society caters for those interested in collecting what has
become known as `Golfiana', its aim was and is always to promote an interest
in the history and traditions of golf.
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