The Lord Lieutenant's Golfing Party

A Tall Tale

The 2nd Earl of Dudley, William Humble Ward, was noted for his lavish entertainment and by virtue of this was a popular and somewhat contoversial Lord Lieutenant of Ireland a post that came with many fringe benefits not least access to two residences, one of which was the Vice Regal Lodge, and a very attractive salary c.£20,000 per annum.

In Easter 1903 he brought some of the greatest golf professionals from Great Britain and Ireland together to play the Dollymount and Portmarnock links. The acquaint yourself with the lesser known of these invitees before reading on click here.

Holy Thursday 16 April 1903

At 11am on Thursday the motorcade arrived at Dollymount His Excellency and after the morning matches his guests dined at the Pavillion for lunch, at a time when motor cars were a rarity and a time when it was easier for a rich man to get through the eye of a needle than for a professional to dine in the clubhouse with the members. Along with the entourage was the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Princesses Margaret and Patricia. The Irish Times recalled that the standard was such that the record for the course was beaten twice and tied once during the day's play.

Morning matches:

His Excellency and Harry Vardon vs James Braid and Hon. Edward Gibson

Gibson, a member of the Royal Dublin Golf Club, shot a 72 but as it wasn't a competiton it wasn't recorded as equalling the course record. The Braid/Gibson pairing were always ahead and three-up by the turn. It was two down at the fourteenth and a long putt from Dudley at the next saw them 1 down but they lost the next two and the match finished 3 and 1.

Mr H.M Cairnes and Dave Herd vs Mr Ernley Blackwell and Willie Fernie

A close match that went to the eigthteenth with Cairnes and Herd winning by 1 up.

Hon, Cyril Ward and J. Hamill vs Captain Greer and Thomas Hood

This match ending all square at the eighteenth.

Lord Lurgan and Willie Auchterlonie vs Hon. J. Ward and Andrew Kirkaldy

Lurgan/Auchterlonie defeated Ward/Kirkaldy by 2 and 1.

Lord Hyde and George Coburn vs Hon. R. Ward and Ben Sayers

Hyde/Coburn lost the first two holes but recovery them immediately and the the turn were 2 up but by the sixteenth the match was square again and with the next halved it was left to Coburn to sink a putt on the last to take for his team to take the honours.

Mr Mure Ferguson and Arnaud Massey vs Mr Edward Blackwell and J.H. Taylor

Ferguson/Massey took the first four holes and turned four up and, despite a valiant effort, there was little chance of recovery and the match closed out on the seventeenth by 3 and 1.

Mr John Ernst Laidlay and Jack White vs Mr Edward Blackwell and J.H. Taylor

White shot a round of 76 and White/Laidlay won their match by 4 and 3.

At 2.45 pm that afternoon (which presumably meant the morning round took no more than three hours) the professional contest began. Spectators were strewn over the course taking advantage of the spectacle.

James Braid 71 [Out: 5,4,4,3,5,4,5,3,3 = 36 In: 4,3,5,4,4,4,5,2,4 = 35 Total 71]
J.H. Taylor 72
Harry Vardon 73

All three of these scores were on or inside the previous record held by Harold Hilton and Harry Vardon of 73. Vardon had a thirty-five going out which was the best of the day but was undone with fives at both the fifteenth and sixteenth holes.

Alex Herd 76
Jack White 77
Willie Fernie 77
Ben Sayers 78
Dave Herd 79
George Coburn 79
J. Hamill 81
Andrew Kirkaldy 81
Willie Auchterlonie 81
Thomas Hood 90

His Excellency presented the prizes for the day.

Easter Saturday 18 April 1903

Saturday's play was held over the Portmarnock Links and again the motorcade made its way to Portmarnock or rather Baldoyle where the made the crossing and were on the links by 11am. The weather was less agreeable for golfers than that at Dollymount with a strong breeze which was causing the greens to be less than true as loose sand was settling on it. The format was similar to that at Dollymount and the morning matched consisted of professional/amateur foursomes. Again the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Princesses Margaret and Patricia could be counted amongst the spectators for the afternoon play.

Kirkaldy refers to what we assume is his crossing from Baldoyle to Portmarnock on the day in question:

I still think Massy saved my life, Lord Dudley's life, Willie Fernie's life, the lives of several ladies and his own life while crossing a sheet of water in Ireland when a gale sprang up and nearly blew our boat over. Massy pulled out his knife and cut the sail free. The Irishman who had charge of the tiller coolly said, when we gave him a bit of our minds, " You would have been all the better for a dip in the holy water."
' You don't take the tiller any more," said Massy. " I will take charge. You are a mad Irishman." Our reason for crossing this stretch of water was to take a short cut to Portmarnock golf course. We did not try that short cut again.

As Lord Lieutenant of Ireland residence was the Viceregal Lodge or better known now as Áras an Uachtaráin, the home of the President of Ireland. So the next of Kirkaldy's stories about Vardon outside Áras an Uachtaráin in 1903 trying to remember the password for entry into the stately home in Phoenix Park is ever so strange especially when you consider that professionals weren't allowed enter the golf clubhouses.

Once I saw Vardon looking rather glum. It was when we and several others were playing at Dollymount, Dublin, and were the guests of Lord Dudley, at the Viceregal Lodge. The sentry always stopped us at the gates. I came up one day and found Vardon waiting there.
" What's the matter, Harry? " I asked.
" I've forgotten the countersign, Andrew. I hope you remember it! "
"That's all right, Harry," I said. "Trust an old soldier."
I gave it to him and we passed through.
Vardon looked very relieved. I think he was afraid of being obliged to stop out all night.

Morning matches:

His Excellency and Harry Vardon vs James Braid and Hon. Edward Gibson

A repeat of the previous day's foursomes saw the first two holes halved and Braid/Gibson taking the third only to lose it again on the fourth after a lost ball. The next two were won by Gibson's team with His Excellency pulling one back at the seventh. Braid's approach shot at the eighth secured that hole but it was handed back at the next and Gibson/Braid turned 1 up. They halved the next three with His Excellency's team taking the next two and halved the next and a brilliant approach shot from the bunker together with a stymie from Dudley comspired to leave them dormy two in the lead. Braid's weak putt on the next ended the match and a reversal of fortune of both teams from their match at Dollymount.

Mr Mure Ferguson and Alec Herd (Won 3 and 2) vs Mr James Laidlay and Jack White

Mr J. Crawford Hutchinson and Arnaud Massey (Won 4and 3) vs Hon. J. Ward and George Coburn

Mr L. Balfour Melville and Andrew Kirkaldy (Won 3 and 2) vs Mr Cecil Hutchinson and J. H. Taylor

Melville/Kirkaldy stood five holes up by the turn.

Lord Lurgan and Willie Fernie (All Square) vs Mr Ted Blackwell and Lord Hyde

Mr Ernley Blackwell and Willie Auchterlonie vs Captain Hankey and Ben Sayers (Won 1 up)

Hon. Cyril Ward and J. Hamill (Lost 3 and 2) vs Captain Hankey and Ben Sayers

Although the papers give Captain Hankey and Ben Sayers as having played two matches the second match against Ward/Hamill may have been played against their card. A similar situation had been recorded for the final matches on Thursday.

Afternoon matches

The professional strokeplay in the afternoon saw Coburn and Herd as the first pairing to get proceedings under way but all eyes were on the Braid and Vardon pairings. The record for the course was held by Vardon, a sixty-nine, but this wasn't going to be repeated given the conditions and in the end it was Braid who posted the best score with a 77.

James Braid 77 [Out: 4,3,4,5,4,4,4,3,5 = 36 In: 4,7,3,4,4,5,4,4,6 = 41 Total 77]
Harry Vardon 79
Alex Herd 79
J.H. Taylor 80
Andrew Kirkaldy 81
Jack White 83
Willie Auchterlonie 84
Willie Fernie 85
Arnaud Massey 86
Dave Herd 87
Ben Sayers 88
Thomas Hood 95
J. Hamill 97
George Coburn NR

While these matches were going on the amateurs, including His Excellency, had their own matches.

His Excellency and Hon. John Ward (Won by 2 up) vs Messrs Blackwell

Lord Lurgan and Mr L. Balfour Melville (Won by 2 and 1) vs Mr Cecil Hutchinson and Captain Greer

 

Easter Monday 20 April 1903

On the Easter Monday Lord Dudley's party again motored down to Portmarnock, this time under more favourable weather conditions.

Mr Ernley Blackwell and Alec Herd beat His Excellency and James Braid

Mr L. Balfour Melville and Harry Vardon All Square Mr Laidlay and J. H. Taylor

Mr J. Crawford Hutchinson and Arnaud Massey beat Captain Hankey and Jack White

Mr Ed Blackwell and Lord Hyde beat Hon. J. Ward and Mr Cecil Hutchinson

Mr J. Crawford Hutchinson and Harry Vardon beat His Excellency and James Braid (by 4 and 3) Braid shooting 80.

Lord Hyde and George Coburn beat Hon. C. Ward and Willie Fernie (by 2 up)

Mr Cecil Hutchinson and Ben Sayers beat Mr Ernley Blackwell and Dave Herd (by 1 up)

 

Tuesday, 21 April 1903

The party moved to the Dollymount links the following day but there was a cold biting wind on the links.

His Excellency and James Braid vs Hon Edward Gibson and Alec Herd

Dudley/Braid were 1 up at the turn but the match was all square by the twelfth and the next three were halved with Dudley's team winning the sixteenth with a 5 when Herd pulled his cleek shot. Herd and Gibson pulled it back at the next and the final hole was halved.