FOWLER’S LASTING LEGACIES

Herbert Fowler is responsible for creating some of the UK’s finest courses, from heathland marvels such as Walton Heath and The Berkshire to majestic links like Saunton and Royal North Devon and many more besides

As with most successful second careers, Herbert Fowler came to be one of England’s most celebrated golf course architects quite by accident. Born into a wealthy Somerset textile family in 1856, Fowler eschewed the traditional university education route followed by his peers, and started out his working life in banking, becoming a partner in a Wellington-based firm, while, somewhat unusually, also playing first-class cricket for Somerset, where his prowess as an big-hitting allrounder saw him finish his career with a batting average of 20 from 49 innings and a bowling average of 22 from 23 wickets.

Unfortunately for his career prospects in banking, Fowler’s figures weren’t quite as impressive when it came to finance, and his firm went bust in the late 1890s, with Fowler up to his elbows in debt and with no obvious means of paying them off.

He joined Royal North Devon Golf Club in 1879 and got his game to a level where he managed to make the last 16 of the Amateur Championship in 1891 and finish 26th in the Open Championship in 1900 – Fowler’s move from playing golf to designing golf courses came about when his wealthy banker brotherin-law, Sir Cosmo Bonsor, proposed that Fowler pay off his banking debts by helping him to build a golf course on a large parcel of land that he owned in Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey. Thus the seeds of Fowler’s second –and most important – career were sown.

By the standards of the day, the creation of what is now known as Walton Heath’s Old Course was a slow process, with the course, hewn from 600 acres of heather – taking over three years to build and not opening until the summer of 1904.

With a big budget at his disposal, Fowler was painstaking in his preparation of the land, and spent precious time, and money, laying down a system of pipes that brought water to each green and tee to create what was one of the first examples of modern-day irrigation. That the course measured 6,424 yards was most likely down to Fowler’s own length of the tee, but it was a prescient move as the arrival of the Haskell ball soon demanded that championship courses be of a similar yardage.

Fowler built a second course at Walton Heath, the New, in 1907, although it started out life as 9-holer and it wasn’t extended to full 18 until some six years later. By this time Fowler was a major figure in golf. He had become a member of both the R&A and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and was listed as one of the R&A’s representatives on the St Andrews’ Green Committee in 1903. And with word of his excellent work at Walton Heath soon spreading, Fowler was soon being offered course development and renovation projects all over the British Isles, with the redesign his own golfing alma mater, Royal North Devon, being one of his earliest commissions. With business booming, Fowler was happy to be joined at his busy practice by Tom Simpson in 1910, and between them laid out or modified another eight courses, including Delamere Forest in Cheshire and the RAC in Surrey, before the outbreak of war in 1914 brought an immediate halt to all course work.

On the resumption of work following the end of World War I, Fowler was given the task of rebuilding Saunton Golf Club’s East Course, which was first laid out in 1897. It was clearly a huge success, as legendary golf writer Bernard Darwin, writing about Saunton in The Game of Golf, said: “Saunton is potentially one of the finest courses in the world. This is not merely my own opinion, for I never heard a more unanimous chorus of delight than that poured out by the daily batch of returning explorers. Rarely have I seen such golfing country on such a gorgeous scale, so that it hardly seems real, but made rather out of the fabric of a dream..”

The following year, 1920, saw Fowler and Simpson set up a partnership with JF Abercromby and Arthur Croome for a few years and by the end of the decade the quarter were responsible for creating, adding to modifying a multitude of courses in Britain and Continental Europe. While Simpson worked mainly abroad, Fowler travelled far and wide at home, remodelling courses such as Aberdovey, Cruden Bay and Royal Lytham & St Annes, along with the construction of the Blue and Red courses at The Berkshire. The latter is a typical example of Fowler’s creativity, with the layout boasting six wildly differing short holes, six par 4s and six par 5s, all of which make use of the land’s natural slopes, with holes that fit naturally and comfortably into the landscape.

Discussing Fowler’s design style, Canandian golf course architect Ian Andrew said: “His architecture was not full of grand flourishes and would be best described as ‘understated’. He kept his tee sites simple, and used his bunkers sparingly, concentrating on key strategic locations. He let the land become the challenge when he had great natural terrain to work with and the rolls and undulations stood out more than the features that he created. His greens were often simply extensions of the fairway. Others were carefully placed on small rises to add some additional difficulty.”

Fowler retained his ability as a golfer until late in his life, making his best ever score round St Andrews’ Old Course, a remarkable 70, when he was 68. He died in 1941, aged 84, leaving just £325 in his will. A small amount to show for a life that has positively affected so many others and will do for centuries to come.

COODEN BEACH The course has dykes, ponds and strategically placed bunkers to catch a wayward shot. Nine holes exceed 400 yards and present a different challenge from which ever tee you chose to play from. Being relatively flat the course is easy walking but the climb up the 9th hole takes you to the highest point of the course where you

ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB With two exceptional downland golf courses in the beautiful surroundings of the Epsom Downs, members and their guests can enjoy the perfect golfing experience. Sweeping down towards Epsom Racecourse, the tree-lined grounds make for a dramatic backdrop for a round of golf at any time of the year.

Tel: 0114 2360763 ext 1 | Web: abbeydalegolfclub.co.uk

Tel: 01424 842040| Web: coodenbeachgc.com

Tel: 01372 229243 | Web: royalautomobileclub.co.uk

SHIRLEY PARK GOLF CLUB Shirley Park is five minutes’ drive from East Croydon station, yet it is a hidden oasis of 130 acres of Surrey countryside. The course was officially opened in July 1914 by the then Lord Mayor of London and still today, it is regarded as one of the finest courses in the south London area, with an extremely warm welcome.

Tel: 020 8654 1143 | Web: shirleyparkgolfclub.co.uk

MARLBOROUGH GOLF CLUB Set on the edge of the historic town of Marlborough, it offers tree-lined fairways on the front nine holes followed by a back nine played on 130-yearold, wonderfully springy turf. The unique clubhouse sits at the high point of the course with a bar, restaurant, and veranda on the first floor providing opportunity to enjoy the panoramic scenery.

Tel: 01672 512147 | Web: marlboroughgolfclub.co.uk

WEST KENT GOLF CLUB

Founded in 1916, West Kent is a well established and highly respected private members’ club. The 6427 yard course has a challenging mixture of undulating features based on woodland, downland and parkland holes to test all abilities and is the longest ladies course in Kent at just under 6,000 yards.

Tel: 01689851323 | Web: www.wkgc.co.uk