In 1883 South Hayling was described as ‘a parish watering place and village with a branch line from Havant, 5 miles east of Portsmouth'.The first indication that the Scottish game had invaded Hayling appeared in a letter from the Rev. J Cumming Macdona published in the ‘Field' magazine in 1880. Macdona was one of the early members of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake and was somewhat of a golf ‘missionary'. His letter referred to links courses being established in England and mentioned that Mr. Fleetwood Sandeman wished to form a new golf club on Hayling Island.
A meeting took place at ‘Whinhurst', Beach Road, Hayling, the home of Lieut. Colonel John Glas Sandeman, on the 3rd August 1883. The minutes of the meeting are still in existence and show that Fleetwood Sandeman was elected as the Club's first captain and Rev Macdona as the first chairman. The Sandeman family, famous importers of sherry and port, must have been great golf enthusiasts for in 1884 Maud Sandeman founded the Hayling Ladies Club.
The Sandeman family crest was recovered during the demolition of the family house in 1994, kept for posterity and can be seen by the path walking to the first tee. As with most old golf clubs, Hayling started with 9 holes. These were located east of the present site on common land near the Royal Hotel. A young man named Joseph Lloyd was hired from Hoylake as the first professional and greenkeeper. The Club developed quickly and a further 9 holes were added in 1884on Sinah Warren, land ideal for links golf and leased to Fleetwood Sandeman the Club captain. In
1894 the lease was transferred to the Club allowing the members to control the Club's destiny. The Club negotiated a long lease for the Sinah Warren land in 1897 and it was decided to build the first clubhouse at a cost of one thousand pounds and this is where the clubhouse stayed for over 100 years.
In 1902 an exhibition match took place over the links between the very famous golfers Harry Vardon and James Braid and soon afterwards in 1905 their contemporary J H Taylor was commissioned to make changes to achieve a true ‘links' venue.
The First World War halted any further progress but in 1924 the Club acquired the total freehold of the land.
It became necessary to make changes to the course layout as the lease on Beach Common could not be renewed and it contained the first 2 holes. In 1933 the famous course architect Tom Simpson was commissioned. At the same time the holes across the Ferry Road were moved and the course is very much what we see today. The course stood comparison with any other links course and this was supported by the famous golf writer Bernard Darwin who after playing the course in the 1930s said ‘it possesses some of the finest natural seaside country to be found anywhere'.
The course was also played by, amongst others, the Prince of Wales (later to become Edward V111) and Bobby Locke the South African winner of our Open Championship who broke the course record with a 65.
During the Second World War the course west of the 7th hole was requisitioned by the MoD for anti aircraft defences to stem the Luftwaffe attacks on Portsmouth Dockyard. Evidence of these gun batteries can still be seen on the course. Hayling suffered many bomb attacks and many craters, now grass covered, can be seen between the 9th and 14th fairways.
After the war considerable repair work had to be carried out. The 13th green had been completely buried under sand and was relocated near the ferry clubhouse.
In 1938 the Club secretary, Mr. Patey, produced a scheme for watering the course from the new lake that was the result of shingle excavation. Excavation continued into the 1940s and the lake we see today is a haven for birds and fishermen as well as providing water for the course.
The course has remained much the same since 1947 and has been the venue for many English men's and ladies amateur championships over the years and continues to stand the test of time.
The new clubhouse was completed in 2002 and is located within yards of the clubhouse first built in 1897.
