Brighton And Hove Golf Club

The golf course that is now part of the Brighton & Hove Golf Club was first played on in 1875 by a group of golfers including H.J. Percival. The Brighton & Hove Golf Club itself was established in the autumn of 1887, following the creation of a railway from Brighton to the Dyke, and featured an original 9-hole course that bears similarity to the current layout.

The course was extended to 18 holes in 1891 due to increasing popularity and reached a membership cap of 375, all men, while a separate 9-hole Ladies club was also formed nearby. Notable challenges of this downland course include facing the prevailing wind, and its notable location on Hangleton Down was partly chosen due to the development of local railway infrastructure.

During World War II, the Ladies’ course was requisitioned for military practice and subsequently destroyed, eventually leading to their merger with Brighton & Hove Golf Club. Following the war and due to financial pressures common among golf clubs, four holes on the south end were lost to municipal development, prompting unsuccessful reconstruction efforts and a return to a 9-hole course layout in 1960.

The course underwent several modifications, including redesigns by James Braid in the early 1900s, and eventually, the club acquired the freehold of the course and surrounding land. The original 18-hole course was reduced to a 9-hole course in 1960 following the sale part of the course land to a local farmer.