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Devil's Dyke

Golf Courses

Reproduced with permission from the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder, 1990

Please note that this text is an extract from a reference work written in 1990. As a result, some of the content may not reflect recent research, changes and events.

c) GOLF-COURSES: The Dyke golf-course was laid out in 1908 and is considered the best of the local courses with the greatest variety of holes. It has a length of 6,519 yards and was a Brighton municipal course until 1966 when it was leased to the Dyke Golf Club by the corporation.
The oldest club in the Brighton area is the Brighton and Hove Golf Club off Devil's Dyke Road, which opened in October 1887 with nine holes. It was later extended to eighteen holes, but sixty acres were sold following persistent trespass and nuisance, and the course was reduced to nine holes again in 1960; an eighteen-hole 'equivalent' course is now provided by two tees at each hole giving a course length of 2758+2777 yards. A bell remains in the clubhouse which rang when a train was about to leave the Dyke Station, giving golfers time to down their drinks and hurry to the club's own private railway platform (see "Dyke Railway" above). A separate Brighton and Hove Ladies' Golf Club was run from 1891 until 1939 on a nine-hole course to the south-west of the Dyke Hotel.
A new course for the West Hove Golf Club was laid out to the west of the old railway line in 1989-90 to replace their course in BenfieldValley which will be lost to the bypass link road; it will be ready early in 1991.
123,218,219,221,305}

Any numerical cross-references in the text above refer to resources in the Sources and Bibliography section of the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder.

This page was added on 18/02/2007.

Comments about this page

Having grown up in Hangleton in the 1950s and 60s, quite close to the Brighton and Hove Golf Course, I do remember it as an 18 hole course, coming right down to the West Blatchington School playing field. The memory is so vague it must have been the very early 1960s that it reverted to a 9 hole course. I find it very hard to believe that the lower sixty acres were sold due to 'persistent trespass and nuisance', it didn't happen in those days. Sounds like a good old excuse to blame the local council estate and sell off some land at the same time.

By Peter Groves (20/06/2007)

I grew up in Hangleton too in the 1950s and '60s, and I have to admit that I used to ride my bike across the golf course, contributing to the 'persistent trespass and nuisance'. One day a police patrol car was parked at the golf clubhouse and when I went whizzing by on my bike, they gave chase, but couldn't catch me. (Note to Hove Police: I live in Canada now, if you are still looking for me).

By Nick Pattenden (16/03/2008)

I too can remember when the Brighton and Hove club was 18 holes. The part referred to as running east to west from the Blatchington School I remember as being quite a long fairway. Where the Downs Man pub is now there was a small round green where I must admit we used to sit and have picnics. You would hear a loud "four" and the ball came whistling down from above. I also seem to remember that halfway along the top fairway was a small tin hut where a man called Darkie sometimes used to live

By David Smart (22/02/2009)

I was born in Poynings and lived there until I was 26. After WWII, I used to travel to Brighton on the number 27 bus which went over the Dyke into Brighton. I clearly remember the wooden sign showing the lane/path to the Brighton and Hove Ladies Golf Club. However, after taking up golf in 1992, I have played several times at the Dyke Golf Club where I have mentioned this and everyone said "no, there was never a ladies golf club". So thank you for protecting my sanity.

By Alan Stenning (30/04/2012)