A meeting was held at Taunton in April 1895 to consider the formation of a County Golf Association for Somerset, and Mr. Salter was appointed as Secretary.
The original subscription was 10 shillings per Club.
It appears that nothing further was done until 1907 when the Taunton & Pickeridge Club suggested to the Bath Golf Club that they should form an association. Bath felt that the initiative should be taken by the Burnham & Berrow Golf Club but the latter Club were of the opinion that the Minehead & West Somerset Golf Club, as the senior Club in the County (and one of the oldest in England), should initiate the movement.
At the beginning of the 20th.Century the Golf Clubs then in existence in Somerset were looking to form an Association and this came about in 1907. Somerset was therefore one of the first five Counties in England to get itself organized.
The thinking was that inter-Club matches would be arranged along with a Championship that would determine who was the best player in the County. As our neighbouring Counties followed suit, the idea of inter-County matches came about. A healthy rivalry has grown over the years and many friends have been made along the way.
Obviously in the early days transport was a problem that had to be overcome and one ‘easy’ trip was to play Glamorgan at Penarth which was reached via Campbell's steamer from the Pier at Weston. The boat was always rocking on the way back!
Players willing to give financial support to County activities paid £1 into the funds and became ‘County Members’ with an annual card entitling them to 1 free round of golf at each Club. The County Card Scheme is still with us today though the terms have altered to reflect the needs of the modern age.
In the pre-WW2 era there were numerous small clubs and gradually amalgamations took place so that only 14 Clubs were in existence until the 1970’s when the first of the newer Clubs came on the scene to cater for the increased demand. This process accelerated in the 80’s and 90’s and now there are 31 Clubs catering for the needs of the 13,000 golfers who play regularly in Somerset.
These Clubs form the County as we know it today, and their representatives are instrumental in shaping how the game is played within the County. At the AGM in February, the Clubs appoint a Committee to organise all the events on the County calendar. The Clubs, for their part, make their courses and facilities available and act as welcoming hosts to all who play.
Activities have expanded somewhat in recent times and the Committee now arranges in excess of 30 events each year including the Somerset Bowl knockout event and 8 Championship events: Seniors, Mens, Colts, Juniors, Category 2, 3 & 4 and the Scratch Foursomes. The committee also organizes matches for the 1st & 2nd Teams and the Seniors (over 55 years) Team with our neighbouring counties. The 1st Team plays in what is called the Channel League and we also play in South West Counties week in June each year.
Coaching sessions in the winter period are now a feature for each age group. As one of the six South West Counties, Somerset also has a part to play in providing facilities for some of those events when our turn comes around.
The County Committee also has delegated authority from the English Golf Union to maintain golfing ‘law and order’ and they carry out course assessments to ensure a uniform approach to the setting of Standard Scratch Scores. Also they are the authority for handicapping issues & disputes and issues concerning Local Rules.
This story, with local variations, is true of all the 34 golfing counties and indeed in 1924 the English Golf Union was formed with representation from the participating counties. The aim was to provide an even higher level of competition and select teams to represent England. Today, there is considerable emphasis on coaching to keep in the forefront of the game. The headquarters of the EGU is at Woodhall Spa Golf Club in Lincolnshire where it has 2 very fine courses as well as full practice facilities at its disposal.
The game in Somerset, with all its thousands of enthusiastic members, is well placed to go forward with gusto, into the 21st.Century.
A meeting was held at Taunton in April 1895 to consider the formation of a County Golf Association for Somerset, and Mr. Salter was appointed as Secretary.
