Fulwell Park The area was farmed during the 17th and 18th centuries and the present day golf course comprised part of Blackmoor Farm and most of Slade Farm. The farmhouse building for the latter,
Slade Lodge, built and
Grade II listed in 1990, is now the course manager's residence. The area of the present day course formed part of a larger estate which was purchased in 1871 by property developer,
Charles James Freake, and renamed
Fulwell Park. In 1904 a group of local golf enthusiasts established the club at Fulwell. Led by prominent local figure H. O. Stutchbury, they appointed former Captain of Mid-Surrey Golf Club, Harry Tomlinson, as chairman and leased from the Trustees of the Freake Estate, using for the course. Early club officials included
Frederick Dixon-Hartland,
Viscount Villiers and Dr.Reginald Langdon Down, son of Dr.
John Langdon Down.
Early courses (
centre) vs.
J.H. Taylor match at Fulwell, June 1906 The initial course on the site comprised an “outer” 18-hole course for men and an “inner” for ladies and high handicappers. It was designed by
John Henry Taylor and was similar to the layout at the
Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club where Taylor was the professional. The par 80 course was a long course, with holes varying from 122 to 514 yards, and somewhat flat in appearance. The “inner” course was extended to 18 holes in 1906 making it just under in length with the longest hole being , formally opening for play on 19 November 1907. In 1921
Alister MacKenzie, the noted
golf course architect, was contracted to extend and improve the outer course. Gaudin played a match there on 1 June 1906 against Taylor. Taylor led by 6 holes after the first round and eventually won 3&2.
George Oke became resident professional at Fulwell in 1921 and, soon after, a young school-leaver, Leslie Cotton, joined as assistant. In 1923 Leslie's elder brother,
Henry Cotton, joined as assistant teaching professional. Henry Cotton soon moved on but Oke remained until 1946. In 1934 a consortium of
Teddington Council,
London County Council and
Middlesex County Council indicated its intention to purchase the land under the
green belt scheme on expiry of the lease in 1941.
World War II The
war agricultural executive committee instructed the club to lay out the inner course to agricultural use. The resulting loss of half its membership revenue led to an agreement with the landowner, by then Middlesex County Council, to reduce the rent in return for opening up the remaining course to the public and with a commitment to reinstate the inner course after the war.
Post war After the war, Middlesex County Council reinstated the course, contracting
John Stanton Fleming Morrison for the design. He laid out the present day 18-hole course comprising eight of the original “outer” layout and ten new holes from the land returned from agricultural use. The par 71 course has four par 3, eleven par 4 and three par 5 holes. The new course opened in 1958 and the club was granted a further 21-year lease. In 1946
Bill Cox succeeded George Oak as professional, establishing a successful teaching academy at Fulwell and remaining until 1975. In March 1983 Richmond agreed to sell both the former Slade's Farm golf course site and adjacent Blackmore Farm site for a sum of £300,000 to D.J. Squires on a 999-year lease. Squires Garden Centre business was established on the Blackmore Farm site. The disposal was authorised both by the GLC and the
Secretary of State for the Environment and the sale concluded in March 1986. Squires immediately reassigned the lease of the golf course to Fulwell Golf Club which continued the public play commitment established during the war through a reduced fee access agreement for local residents.
Consideration as a school site In 2018, a triangle of open land behind the David Lloyd Centre was formally assessed by Richmond Council to determine its suitability as a school site. The conclusion was that there would be several barriers to overcome, making it very difficult from a planning perspective. ==Environment==