Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, with its two 18-hole Courses, its ladies section and its artisan section - the Cantelupe Golf Club - has been the inspiration and home to some of Britain's most outstanding golfers.

 

Among them have been an Open champion, world champion, three players selected for the Ryder Cup, a Walker Cup player, matchplay champions, amateur champions and county champions. For such a small Club, it is a remarkable achievement.

A member of Royal Ashdown from 1897 until 1932. Captain in 1905. He was the first great golf writer and also wrote about many other subjects. He was the author/editor of over 50 books in all.

1885 runner-up in the inaugural year of the Amateur Championship

1886 and 1887 Amateur Champion

1903 runner-up Amateur Championship

First Englishman to be Captain of the Royal & Ancient

One of the earliest members of Royal Ashdown and made a life member in 1896. He died in action in the Boer War at Koodoosberg aged only 30.

1886 playing as an amateur, he came third in the Open

1890 won the Calcutta Cup at St Andrews

1895 set course record of 72 at St Andrews

1896 and 1898 Amateur Champion

Royal Ashdown professional for 55 years and 1 day.

1907 Sussex Professional Champion

1909 Winner of the News of the World Matchplay Championship defeating James Braid

1921 Sussex Professional Champion aged 51

1922 – 1923 Captain of the PGA

A member of one of the great ‘forester’ families of Ashdown golfers and a member of the Cantelupe, it is his figure that stands atop the Ryder Cup. Described as “the finest player who never won an Open Championship”. Still has the best Ryder Cup record for an Englishman. Played for England amateur team from 1910 -1912.

1912 runner-up British Amateur Championship

1910 and 1913 won Golf Illustrated Gold Vase for amateurs

1919 News of the World Match Play Champion

1919 Winner Victory Open

1929, 1931, 1933 Ryder Cup player

Mark, son of Mark Seymour Snr, founder of the Cantelupe Golf Club, which is the artisan section of Royal Ashdown and the second oldest artisan club in England.

1921 won Golf Illustrated Gold Vase as an amateur

1928 Sussex Professional Champion

Scottish Professional Champion 3 times

1931 runner-up PGA Match Play Tournament

1932 played for England against Scotland and for Scotland (domiciled) against Ireland

1931, 1933, 1934 won Scottish Professional Championship

Another famous member of the Cantelupe Club. Renowned in club folklore for once driving over the Clubhouse into the car park from the Old Course 18th tee. He beat the great Alfred Padgham 4 and 3 over 18 holes after the latter had just become Open Champion.

1922 won ‘The Long Driving Championship’

1924 scored 69 to hold professional record for Royal Ashdown’s Old Course

 

Open Champion and Ryder Cup player. A co-professional at Royal Ashdown with Jack Rowe, leaving in 1933 for the same job at Sundridge. His career in the Open was third in 1934, second in 1935 and winner in 1936. He achieved this with a long, slow, easy swing. He is reported to have said “The easier I hit the ball – the further it went”.

1931 won News of the World Tournament

1932 Irish Open Champion

1934 German Open Champion 

1935 PGA Match Play Champion

1936 Open Champion

1936 Irish Open Champion

1938 Dutch Open Champion

1933, 1935, 1937 Ryder Cup player

 

A scratch player at 16, Hector Padgham followed Jack Rowe as Royal Ashdown’s professional, a position he held for 42 years. A renowned and much admired golfer and Ashdown character.

1938 won News of the World Artisan Championship

1959 – 1965 Sussex Professional Champion  

Frank Pennink was a renowned and stalwart member of Royal Ashdown, which he joined in 1935.  In addition to his illustrious amateur golfing career, he was a successful golf course architect and one of the foremost writers on golf.

1937 and 1938 English Amateur Champion

1938 Walker Cup player when Great Britain triumphed over the USA

1939 winner London Amateur Foursomes, playing with E.B. Tipping

1952 Sussex Amateur Champion

1956 – 1959 Captain of England

1967 President of English Golf Union

A Royal Ashdown stalwart and winner of many of the club’s major events. A participant in many major national events, in the 1921 Amateur Championship at Muirfield he played against Mark Seymour of Royal Ashdown’s Cantelupe Club who won 2 and 1.

1928 semi-finalist in the Amateur Championship

1929 beaten finalist in the English Amateur Championship

1930 played for England vs Ireland

1931 Irish Amateur Champion

1931 Sussex Amateur Champion

1939 won London Amateur Foursomes, playing with J J F Pennink

The start of this famous South African’s connections with Royal Ashdown began in 1936 when, aged only 18 and still an amateur, he won the inaugural Winkley Smith Challenge Cup when he carded a 4 on every hole in the same round on the Old Course. The association between Club and player continued until his death.

1950, 1951, 1953, 1957 Open Champion

11 PGA Tour titles

23 European Tour titles

38 South African Tour titles

 

 

 

Member of the popular Champness family, members of Royal Ashdown.

2000 One Arm Golf Society World Champion, St Enedoc

2002 One Arm Golf Society World Champion, Conway

2004 One Arm Golf Society World Champion, West Kilbride

2006 One Arm Golf Society World Champion, Tynemouth

2007 One Arm Golf Society World Champion, Stirling

2008 One Arm Golf Society World Champion, Dunmurry

2008 Member of the European team competing against the North American team in the inaugural Fightmaster Cup at the Cardinal Club, Kentucky 

 

 

Winners of the Sussex Amateur Team Championship with Harold Deane 1991

Runners-up London Amateur Foursomes 2001

Runners-up London Amateur Foursomes 2002

Winners London Amateur Foursomes 2003

Andrew Smith - Sussex Mid Age Champion 2008

 

 

 

 

A member of the Ladies Section of Royal Ashdown, Prue Riddiford has achieved a prolific record of golfing accomplishments and continues to play for the club today.

1982, 1986 British Seniors Ladies Open Champion

1975, 1978, 1981, 1987, 1992 Southern England Veteran Champion

1953, 1976 English Championship quarter finalist

1979  winner with Jenny Tate of London Ladies Amateur Foursomes

1983 Captain of Sussex Ladies team and 1984 team manager

1953, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967 1968, 1972, 1973, 1974 Sussex Ladies Champion

1952 (Miss Hayward), 1953, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974 winner Sussex Scratch Medal

Sussex Veteran Ladies Champion on 10 occasions

 

 

A member of Royal Ashdown since 1965 Harold has achieved a record total of 43 mentions on the Club's honour boards.

1972, 1973, 1974 Member of the Sussex team

1991 Winner of the Sussex Amateur Team Championship with Andrew Smith & Richard Darlington

1993, 1994, 1999 Sussex Veterans Champion

1994 English Seniors Champion (60-65 age group)

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