Haywards Heath Golf Club

Haywards Heath Golf Club was originally established as a nine-hole course in 1922, after local businessman Horace Finch purchased land and established the grounds with the assistance of Major I.G.H. Stenborough. The opening ceremony of the golf course was held on Saturday, 27th May 1922, with the annual membership subscription set at six guineas (£6.30).

Golf course architect James Braid advised on the extension of the course, resulting in the opening of the new 18-hole layout on 3rd June 1924 with James Braid and Harry Varden playing an exhibition match. This layout notably included land leased from Col. G.H. Stephenson Clarke of the Borde Hill estate and a small plot near the present 5th green from Lord Denman’s Balcombe estate.

During World War II, portions of the golf course were converted for agricultural use, leaving only 10 active holes until German prisoners of war assisted in restorations between 1946 and 1948. Further changes to the golf course occurred in the 1960s, with the Club taking ownership of the land from the Borde Hill Estate and subsequently integrating new holes and redesigns handled by former Ryder Cup player Bill Cox in the 1980s.

The golf course has seen significant land ownership expansions, including the purchase of the freehold for the land around the 5th green and 6th tees in 1997, and an additional 13.5 acres near the 8th Green in 1998. Extended leases and refurbishments have also taken place, with the latest clubhouse extension and refurbishment financed by members and a bank loan, completed in May 2003.