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GOLF ISSUE 124 JULY 2014
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RESCUE MASTER THE SKILLS & STRATEGY YOU NEED TO PLAY BETTER SEASIDE GOLF JONATHAN YARWOOD
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PETER ALLISS JOHN HOPKINS JEREMY CHAPMAN DEREK LAWRENSON JOHN INVERDALE ROBERT GREEN JOHN HUGGAN PETER MCEVOY CLIVE AGRAN ANDY FARRELL
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MARTYN JOSEPH – A GOLFER AT HEART // MEMORABILIA // MOROCCO // HATS OFF TO THE TRILBY TOUR!
JERSEY & VARDON’S LEGACY
THE JERSEY
Six-time champion: Harry Vardon gives the winner’s speech at Prestwick in 1914. The collection of his six gold Open winner’s medals – along with his his 1900 US Open medal – are housed in a museum in the island’s capital, Saint Helier. (Opposite): The 13th century fortress of Mont Orgueil is an imposing and everpresent backdrop at Royal Jersey
GOLD RUSH
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY STUART McALISTER
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY DALE CONCANNON
The centenary of Harry Vardon’s record sixth Open Championship victory provides the perfect excuse to celebrate the rich golfing heritage of his Jersey birthplace. Dominic Pedler strikes gold in the Channel Islands
Known as the Grouville Hoard, the extraordinary haul of 50,000 Celtic coins found by amateur fortune hunters in a Jersey field in 2012, finally goes on display in the Jersey Museum this summer. Dating from 25BC and valued conservatively at £10 million, it’s said to be Europe’s largest buried treasure. But golf historians will know there is already a Grouville Hoard in the permanent collection of the very same museum in the island’s capital of Saint Helier. These are the gold medals of Grouville’s most famous son, Harry Vardon, bequeathed to the island by his widow on her death in 1946. The highlight being the 74 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2014
unprecedented set of six Open championship winner’s medals he won between 1896 and 1914. Alongside them is yet another of these R&A gold coins, from the collection of Vardon’s friend and fellow islander, Ted Ray, Open champion of 1912. Completing the set are the US Open medals won by both these Jersey giants (Vardon 1900, Ray 1920) along with further medals and mementoes from their exploits elsewhere, including Germany, France and Monte Carlo. The seeds of Jersey’s glittering golfing treasure were sown in 1878, a few miles from St Helier in the sweeping bay of
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Grouville, during the earliest days of what is now the Royal Jersey Golf Club. In one of the most evocative introductions to the game of golf, Harry Vardon would later describe his intrigue when, as an impressionable seven-year-old, he saw “strange men” descending on the dramatic duneland that backed onto his Gorey home. “On the Sabbath”, no less, the visitors began to layout a primitive routing for what, to the youngster, was the previously unfamiliar notion of a golf course. Vardon would continue his initiation by building a few his own makeshift 50-yard holes in the land alongside, even playing at night in the brilliant Jersey moonlight. Using makeshift clubs to strike a large white marble ‘taw’ (before he could afford his own ‘gutties’), it was here that he began to develop the technique and temperament that would eventually make him a seventime major champion. A British record that has now stood for a century, with Nick Faldo next best on six. Jersey – and Royal Jersey in particular – is rightly proud of their unique golfing history, with this year’s celebrations led by another Grouville golfing legend, Tommy Horton, an expert in all things related to his hero (see sidebar).
In 1978, the club’s centenary was marked by a special series of Vardonthemed Jersey postage stamps, while in 2001, £50,000 was raised to erect an eightfoot bronze statue, designed by Gerald Palmer, that stands proudly at the entrance of the golf club. Even Jack Nicklaus has contributed to the cause, playing in 1984 in an exhibition match at Royal Jersey (with Hale Irwin against Tommy Horton and Brian Barnes) for the launch of the Vardon Trust that remains dedicated to furthering the game amongst Jersey youngsters. As Horton tells Gi, Jack is a massive Vardon fan who acknowledges the debt to American golf made first through the Jersey-man’s 1900 tour of the United States and his pivotal role in the era-defining US Open upset by Francis Ouimet in 1913. Nicklaus owns not one but two of the 25 highly collectable Vardon trophies made at the time of his visit to Jersey. Not to be confused, of course, with The Vardon Trophy, presented by the PGA of America every year to the PGA Tour player with the best scoring average; while the corresponding trophy in Europe going to the winner of The Race To Dubai. Visitors to Royal Jersey today can also thank the Golden Bear for some subtle
changes to the golf course that ensures it gets the best from its tight – though superbly blessed – 98 acres. It was Vardon who wrote in his memoirs “no first class golf links was ever made more easily”. And while there have obviously been many changes in its 135-year history, Gorey (as it is also known) remains an exhilarating place, combining inviting terrain with spectacular views. None finer than at the 470-yard 1st, one of the most memorable openers in the British Isles. Your task here is to thread your tee shot between the imposing remains of Fort Henry (dating from Jersey’s 18th century battles against the French); and a German pill-box (from the island’s WWII occupation). It’s a challenging 60-yard gap that will set the pulse racing. With any slice risking the pebbly beach that runs all down the right. Stealing the show is another castle on a granite headland a mile way. Overlooking the charming fishing port of Gorey, with its white fronted houses, the 13th century fortress of Mont Orgueil seems to rise inexorably from the sea and commands attention from every point on the golf course. Back on the links the most famous landmark is the engraved stone halfway down the fairway at the 389-yard par-four 12th, commemorating Vardon’s 1870 birth “within putting distance” in a house which has since been demolished. It is a fitting location as the second shot here is perhaps the most exacting on the course, with a two-tiered green at the end of long uphill funnel of gorse protected by a large mound which throws off anything short to leave a semi-blind recovery. Despite its modest yardage (6,123 yards from the medal tees), Royal Jersey shows consistently great charm with its mix of dunes, bracken and heather and cleverly JULY 2014 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM 75
JERSEY & VARDON’S LEGACY
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HARRY VARDON AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE
1896 MUIRFIELD 83-78-78-77 (316) Starting the final round four shots adrift of great rival J H Taylor, Vardon came to the final hole needing a four to win and five to tie. After much deliberation he chose to lay up safely with an iron short of a guarding bunker and take his chances in the play-off. He eventually triumphed by 157 to Taylor’s 161, putting superbly with a customized cleek acquired during the few days before the 36 extra holes. Known for his unflappable oncourse temperament, Vardon later reflected “for the first time in my life I felt some emotion as a golfer”. 1898 PRESTWICK 79-75-77-76 (307) Another final round charge, this time having trailed Willie Park Jnr. after 54 holes. In another dramatic finale, Vardon finished early and watched as Park drove the green at Prestwick’s 18th needing a three to tie. As a vast crowd gathered, Vardon’s view was blocked and he waited for what seemed an eternity as Park lined up and eventually missed the all-important three-footer. 1899 SANDWICH 76-76-81-77 (310) Now with a reputation as a daunting player, Vardon cruised to an 11-shot lead after three rounds on what he would describe as his all76 GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM JULY 2014
time favourite venue. His eventual fiveshot victory over Jack White was defined by relentless brilliance with the brassie, often hitting his gutties to tap-in distance. “The game seemed very easy to me then,” he later wrote. 1903 Prestwick 73-77-72-78 (300) A fourth victory equaled the feat of both Morrises, placing Vardon in exalted company. But the six-shot victory from brother Tom Vardon belied the problems Harry was now having with his health. He felt repeatedly faint during the final round and was almost unable to finish. Indeed, the relative lull in Vardon’s success over the next eight years was the result of tuberculosis contracted this year, with lung complaints troubling him until his death in 1937. 1911 SANDWICH 74-74-75-80 (303) One of the casualties of Vardon’s ill health was his putting which declined alarmingly for many years leaving him with a particular fear of three-footers. Holding a three-shot lead after 54 holes, he stumbled to a closing 80 in a see-sawing final. It was just enough to tie with Frenchman Arnaud Massy (the 1907 champion) with Vardon winning the playoff when the Frenchman conceded after 35 holes. 1914 PRESTWICK 73-77-78-78 (306) As Tommy Horton recounts, it was another bout of ill health that caused Vardon to cancel a 1912 tour of America to promote golf and his Spalding equipment. In a twist of fate, he was to have travelled on Titanic. Two years later saw his last Open victory after another thrilling head-to-head duel with JH Taylor. From two behind on the final day, Vardon rallied to win by three in front of some 12,000 frenzied spectators amid scenes that ultimately ushered in a new era of crowd control at golf tournaments.
GOLF & GASTRONOMY THE ATLANTIC HOTEL
exploited elevation changes. The club also enjoys some other terrific trivia. Like the eagle two that Jack Nicklaus closed with during the aforementioned exhibition match: driving to the 318-yard 18th and holing a 30-footer at odds of 10-1 offered by a bantering Brian Barnes. The clubhouse enjoys the fine views of both the course and Bay of Grouville. As does the newly-erected bust of Tommy Horton alongside the first tee. It’s a reminder that the small island of Jersey – just nine miles by five – has enjoyed an exceptional golfing history over many different eras. Indeed, apart from Vardon and Ray (who also learned his golf Royal Jersey), the only other Briton to have won both the Open and the US Open is Tony Jacklin who lived on the island for many years. During his time here, Jacklin also acted as tour pro for La Moye Golf Club, the exceptional seaside course on the other side of the island. Near the famous Corbiere lighthouse that inspired the name of the 1983 Grand National winner, La Moye enjoys a spectacular vantage point some 250ft above sea level. The panoramic views here are breathtaking, taking in the entire five-mile sandy sweep of St Ouen’s Bay, backed by an oasis of dunes and wetlands protected by the National Trust. For enticing clubhouse vistas, La Moye is right up there with Turnberry, Cruden Bay and Gi’s office HQ, Trevose. The course itself lives up to the setting, unfolding over a rather more generous acreage than found at Gorey. While technically qualifying as ‘cliff top’
Championship material: Located in St Brelade, in the south west of the island, La Moye was the longtime venue of the Jersey Open; no one has done more to perpetuate Vardon’s legacy than Jersey’s very own Tommy Horton
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY STUART McALISTER
The way Harry Vardon dominated the Open championship over three decades at the turn of the 20th century confirms his place as one of the true legends of golf. His tally of six victories remains a record: one ahead of his great rivals, JH Taylor and James Braid who made up The Great Triumvirate; as well as Peter Thomson, in the 1950s; and Tom Watson, five-time champion between 1975 and 1983. But in his thirty appearances in the Open, Vardon was also runner up four times, while finishing elsewhere in the top-10 on ten further occasions. That’s 20 top-10s in 30 years. Moreover, in 21 consecutive years from 1894 he was only twice outside the top-10. Nor did he miss the cut until his 27th appearance, by which time his health had already been failing for many years. Here is a snapshot of those magnificent six victories:
in terms of altitude, La Moye emerges as an authentic links for most of its holes, with rugged sandhills, gorse and closely cropped seaside turf. The course is played over two loops of nine, starting notably with a par-three which can require just about any club for its 167 yards, depending on the wind. The par-four 4th is the perhaps the standout hole on the front side: this 425yard Stroke Index 1 was among the most demanding holes on the European Tour in
the days when the Jersey Open was on the schedule. But the back nine is even better, with the 10th kicking off an exceptionally scenic four-hole stretch spiced with sea pines and wild flowers and characterful dells between tees and fairways. The climax is the view from the medal tee at the 15th as you peruse the carry over gorse and the awesome vertical drop to terra firma on the slice side. Back in the clubhouse, there’s a room dedicated to La Moye’s own rich history, from its founding in 1902 to, more recently, its hosting of the Jersey Seniors Masters. There’s even a Vardon link here, too. George Boomer, the founder of the club, was a Jersey school teacher whose pupils just happened to include a certain H. Vardon and T. Ray. A keen golfer, Boomer applied for membership at Gorey (then the island’s only golf club) but was turned down, prompting him to build his own course at this exceptional site at the western end. Vardon himself helped design some holes, while photos show him playing the course in 1904. James Braid’s 1930s makeover was decimated during the German occupation of World War II before Henry Cotton helped to resurrect La Moye for the modern era. As a further Open footnote, Vardon was a great inspiration for Cotton himself, who having won the 1934 Open at Sandwich
Here at Gi we like to combine golf with gastronomy, wherever possible, and Jersey represents a standout destination from our recent travels. In terms of the 2014 count of Michelin stars and AA rosettes, the island’s restaurants are only topped by the metropolises of London and Edinburgh. The obvious choice for gourmet golfers is the Ocean Restaurant at the Atlantic Hotel. Nestled alongside the double dogleg 4th hole at La Moye, the hotel itself is a perfect base for golf and has a close relationship with the club. Enjoying the same breathtaking view of St Ouen's Bay, the stylish and friendly Atlantic is regularly voted one of the finest hotels in the British Isles, and is among of the exclusive Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Featured recently in an episode of The Apprentice, the Atlantic is certainly worthy of a Sir Alan Sugar “treat”, starting with the exceptional cuisine of star chef, Mark Jordan, who also has a fashionable bistrot on St Aubin’s Bay. Impressing the taste buds of the Michelin inspectors in the latest Guide is Jordan’s langoustine tails with oyster mayonnaise; pot-roast pigeon; and pistachio cake with crème fraîche sorbet – all with locally sourced ingredients. From £125 per person per night. Price includes a full English breakfast, use of the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa, saunas, mini gym and tennis court. Available until 27th September. Upgrade to halfboard for £50 per person, including a three-course table d’hote dinner. www.theatlantichotel.com or call 01534 744101
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In terms of technique, Harry Vardon is most famous for perfecting the overlapping grip that became known as The Vardon Grip. It was initially pioneered by Johnny Laidlay, the amateur champion of 1889 and 1891, but when Vardon heard about it he immediately appreciated that the hands could work together more efficiently and not ‘fight’ each other. Yet Vardon was also instrumental in the evolution of the golf swing as a whole. At the time, golfers played with long-nosed clubs with relatively flat lie angles and stood far away from the ball. As a consequence, they would tend to swing in a notably flat plane around the body. But Vardon was the first player to swing more upright, creating a higher trajectory and a steeper angle of descent which helped him to stop the ball more quickly on the green. Especially in those days without proper irrigation, this would have provided a huge advantage in distance control, while also helping him get out of bunkers and bad lies more effectively. From an instruction point of view, you could regard it as an early evolution of the Two Plane Swing, as dubbed by Jim Hardy, who himself studied with John Jacobs who first championed the mechanics of this approach in golf coaching.
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JERSEY FACT FILE
GETTING THERE There are some dozen flights a day from London to Jersey as well as flights from over 30 UK regional airports, including Bristol, Exeter and Southampton. Daily ferry services from Portsmouth, Poole or Weymouth from £49.50 per person, including the car. Visit condorferries.co.uk. Hire a car from £14 per day from Hertz. See hertz.co.uk. Jersey’s events calendar is also packed throughout the year with seasonal activities to suit every age group. Visit www.jersey.com to see what’s on during your stay and to find out more about the island.
similar high rise views as La Moye. And with its variety of self-catering apartments, Les Ormes is a popular option with families. Back on the other side of St Helier, St Clements Golf & Sports Centre is a ninehole municipal which, while under 3,000
TOMMY HORTON ROYAL JERSEY’S LATEST LEGEND No one has done more to perpetuate the legacy of Harry Vardon than another Royal Jersey golfing legend, Tommy Horton, MBE. A popular global ambassador for the game for over half a century, Horton’s formative years saw an uncanny connection to his golfing hero. “When I was about six years old, I would hit balls with my pals on the waste ground alongside the fairway here,” he told Gi as we played the 12th at Royal Jersey with him recently. “It wasn’t until I later read about Vardon at school, and talked to members while caddying that I realised that Vardon’s house had been yards from mine and he had started golf on the very same piece of land. He has been my inspiration throughout my life.” Like his hero, Horton was spotted as an early talent at Gorey. After rising through the junior artisan ranks he was invited to be assistant professional at Royal Jersey before going on to enjoy
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GOLF CLUB WEBSITES www.royaljersey.com www.lamoyegolfclub.co.uk www.lesmielles.com www.lesormesjersey.co.uk www.longuevillegolfrange.co.uk www.stclementsgolfandsportscentre.co.uk www.wheatlandsjersey.com
25 years as club professional, retiring in 1999. Meanwhile, as a consummate tour pro, Horton was twice a Ryder Cup player in the 1970s and a star of the European Tour (9 wins) and European Seniors Tour (23 wins), with four top-10 finishes in the Open. It was fitting that, like Vardon himself, Horton was honoured with his own commemorative bust at Royal Jersey, unveiled by Sandy Jones, CEO of the PGA, in April this year. “I’m still doing as much as I can to perpetuate the Vardon legacy,” says Horton, now 73, who helped establish The Vardon Trust, back in the 1984 (see main piece) which also supports the development of golf throughout the island. Horton also works closely with the European Tour who now own the merchandising rights to the Vardon name. This summer’s ‘sixth-win centenary’ will see several other initiatives, starting with a series of
7OR L D S , I GHT ES T 3T EEL 3HAF T The panorama across Les Mielles, which enjoys an enviable setting within the curve of St Ouen’s Bay
yards of pleasant parkland, is nevertheless a useful warm-up for Royal Jersey, a few of miles away. The neighbouring Longueville Golf Range is the island’s best practice facility with plenty of space and modern bays equipped with automatic Power Tees. The state-of-the-art custom fitting centre here is affiliated to Royal Jersey, complete with Trackman monitors, SAM PuttLab technology and expert swing analysis complementing the equipment advice and club building. Completing Jersey’s varied golf offerings is the par-3 parkland experience at Wheatlands, back towards the airport. Opened in 1994 by former Masters champion and Jersey resident, Ian Woosnam, the par-27 nine-holer runs to a leisurely 1,427 yards through 30 attractive acres. Golf aside, for many of us Jersey conjures images of cows, potatoes and tax exiles – not forgetting Bergerac which is rumoured to be in line for a BBC remake.
silver cufflinks sporting the Vardon grip ‘emblem’, available through the Royal Jersey website. Meanwhile, Horton will also oversee a new display of memorabilia in the club’s Vardon Bar, personally acquired from the legend’s late son, Peter Howell, born to his mistress, actress Tilly Howell, in 1921. Indeed, The Revealing Story Of A Champion Golfer by Peter’s wife, Audrey Howell, makes for essential reading. But golfers looking for the ultimate Vardon experience – and Jersey golf in general – are directed to the plans for Vardon Heritage Holidays. Devised and hosted by Tommy Horton himself in conjunction with the Channel Islands Travel Group, golfers will be treated to a fascinating insight from the riveting raconteur, along with rounds of golf at Royal Jersey, La Moye and a private viewing of all those gold medals in the Jersey Museum. www.citravelgroup.com
With its dramatic location shots among ancient castles, endless sands, cosy coves and picture perfect harbours, the original series was certainly a great advert for the island. But while prospective residents are required to swell the coffers of the Jersey States by at least six figures a year in tax revenue (to qualify for the hallowed ‘OneOne-K’ status), the average punter can holiday here anytime. And while Vardon, Ray, Jacklin, Woosnam and Horton dominate the golfing heritage, Jersey has a history of other A-list celebrities – most recently new resident Nigel Mansell, whose motor museum opened in 2013 and is already one of Jersey’s busiest attractions. Though, admittedly, none of these sporting greats can quite match the fame of Lillie Langtry who, like Harry Vardon, was a home-grown Jersey legend from the Victorian era whose memorabilia can be seen today in the same St Helier museum. Albeit for rather different reasons.
PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER DAZELEY
ARTWORK COURTESY DALE CONCANNON
HORTON ON VARDON THE SWING THAT CHANGED GOLF
after 10 years of American domination – immediately took the claret jug to show his ailing mentor staying at a nearby hotel. Vardon’s health continued to fail and he died in March 1937. And let’s not forget that George Boomer (who would become a golf pro himself at the ripe age of 60) was father to both Percy (a three-time winner in Europe and an outstanding golf instructor) and Aubrey (fivetime French Open champion and runner-up to Bobby Jones at the 1927 Open). And, talking of golf membership on Jersey, both La Moye and ‘The Royal’ have lengthy waiting lists of some 15 years – though, thankfully, visitors are welcome. No surprise then that a few other golf developments have also emerged on the island over the last couple of decades. Les Mielles Golf & Country Club, in particular, enjoys its own superb setting on the endless curve at St Ouen’s Bay. Originally a nine-hole par-3 layout, the course has evolved into an 18-hole routing with the addition of new land on the rolling dunes and protected wetlands further up the coast. Les Mielles is both great fun and a unique test, with this new front nine cleverly snaking around the lakes and marshes that define this low-lying stretch. It’s also a scenic haven for wildlife, with oystercatchers, moorhens and warblers among the regulars. Back on the high land overlooking this same bay is Les Ormes, just a five minute drive from Jersey airport. Four par threes make for a relaxing ninehole course measuring a modest 2,506 yards from the whites, and enjoying some
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