1883 Jersey Grouville Links

The Club was founded in 1878 on Grouville Common on Jersey by visitors to the island led by FW Brewster and encouraged by officers of the local militia . Grouville is in the south-east of Jersey and was used for horse racing. It had become more accessible with the arrival of the railway. There is a possible connection with members of the Royal Wimbledon and the Victoria Club.

The Royal Oak pub served as the club-house, renamed The Golf Inn and now called The Pembroke.

The early pioneers bought 36 golf hole cups, but they only had 10 proper flag sticks and bought 3 more later in two stages, which implies that they were adding holes as they went along. They probably had 10 or 13 holes in the first year, though this may have been played as a round of 18 holes.

1883 saw the first known layout of 18 holes.

Grouville Links Jersey, picture courtesy of Royal Jersey Golf Club.

Several notable golfers have come from Jersey, including  Ted Ray and Harry Vardon, who is as well-known for his 'grip' as he is for his record six Open Championships and USA Open win.  Both Ted Ray and Harry Vardon learned to play as caddies at Grouville, but they were not members of the club. Recently new books have been written on both Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. 

In the first international golf match between England and Scotland, the English team contained four Jersey golfers from Grouville.

Updated 22nd Mar 2019