ONE of the region’s most prestigious golf clubs is celebrating a landmark anniversary this year.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of Broadway Golf Club, making it one of the oldest in the area.

The club was established on the 18th April 1895, initially on Deans Meadow, the land between Broadway and the current Broadway Cricket Club.

With only a couple of established golf clubs in Gloucestershire at the time, these were pioneering days for golf. Broadway was fortunate to benefit from the organisational skills of the very capable local doctor, Charles Turner Standring.

He was a man of boundless energy, who was able to motivate others to join in his schemes. At the age of 29 he reorganised the Broadway Cricket Club, formed the Football Club, became Secretary of the Tennis Club and, most importantly, founded the Golf Club in 1895. It wasn’t until 1911, and after 4 further moves, that the club finally became settled on what is now called “the bottom 9” of the existing course, to be increased to 18 holes in 1962.

The course was further enhanced over the years from the advice of leading golf architects, most notably Dr McKenzie (of Augusta National fame) in 1929 and James Braid (designer of over 200 courses including Gleneagles and Carnoustie) in 1938.

As part of the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations, an open day is being held so golfers from around the county can come and see what Broadway Golf Club has to offer. For more details, go to www.broadwaygolfclub.co.uk/