Essex Golf
1901
ESSEX LADIES’ COUNTY GOLF ASSOCIATION (ELCGA) was founded in 1901, following a meeting at Aberdovey Golf Club during the Women’s Amateur Championship.
At this meeting, the Central County Committee was set up to organize county women’s golf, with Miss Harris from Halstead GC representing Essex. This marked the beginning of the ELCGA and it’s involvement with the wider county golf structure.
First Inter-county Match: Essex played Kent in one of the first recorded inter-county matches, with Essex being defeated 6 ½ to 1 ½.
The ladies at Aberdovey Golf Club
1923
ELCGA first recorded Women’s County Championship took place, at Romford Golf Club with the winner Miss Majorie Parkinson
1924
THE ESSEX COUNTY AMATEUR GOLF UNION founded 27th February at Romford Golf Club, with representatives from 16 clubs.
Bowers Gifford, Boyce Hill, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea
Frinton, Grays & Orsett , Hainault Forest, Ilford
Monkhams, Rochford 100, Romford, Theydon Bois
Thorpe Hall, Wanstead, West Essex, Woodford
First Officers Elected:
President: J. J. Esplen (Wanstead)
Vice-Presidents: H. Shaw (Romford) and G. E. Larman (Rochford Hundred)
Hon-Secretary: P. Kemp (Wanstead)
Hon-Treasurer: J. J. Murray (Romford)
Old photo of Romford Golf Club
1924 Cont...
The First Competition arranged by the Union was a 36 holes medal, which became the Essex Amateur Championship, and was open to all members of Essex Clubs with a handicap of 12 or under, and the winner of the scratch prize, Mr.C.Law (club unknown) was the first Essex Amateur Champion.
The Essex Amateur Championship Trophy was presented by Wm. J. Ralph, Esq., the Captain of Romford Golf Club, and the Esplen Challenge Trophy, for the Club Championship, by J. J. Esplen, Esq., O.B.E., Captain of Wanstead Golf Club and President of the Union. Both trophies were competed for in 1924.
The Jubilee Trophy is played in conjunction with the Essex Amateur Championship and awarded to the leading player who is under 21years of age on 1st January in the year of the event.
The Championship continued to be played over 36 holes until 1955 when it was decided over 72 holes.
L to R , The Amateur Championship Trophy, the Esplen Trophy and the Jubilee Trophy.
1925
EGU Junior Team Championship Trophy first competed for (now the Leslie F. Wood Team Championship).
Amateur vs. Professionals Match first played at Thorndon Park on 28th March.
The Leslie F. Wood Championship Trophy
1920 -1925
EGU The Thornton Challenge Cup, for Club teams, was presented by Sir Henry W. Thornton of Great Eastern Railway in 1920, before the Union was in existence, and the competition, which was not restricted to Essex Clubs alone, was organised by a special committee.
The first winners were Thorpe Hall Golf Club. In 1925 it was reported that the committee desired to hand over the trophy to be dealt with by Essex County Amateur Golf Union, and it was proposed to run the competition on the same lines as hitherto except that it would be open to all Essex Clubs in addition to those in Hertfordshire and Middlesex who had competed in the past.
Sir Henry W. Thornton with the Thornton Challenge Cup
1926
ELCGA Silver League: The Interclub Silver League began, with Thorpe Hall Golf Club emerging as the first winners.
Each club entered a team of seven players, and the teams were drawn into leagues. Clubs played a round-robin format against the other teams in their league, with the league winners — and, where necessary, runners-up — progressing to the knockout stages (quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final).
All matches were played off scratch, with no handicap restrictions on players. Today the same format is used but with only 5 players in a team.
The Silver Shield
1929
EGU Mullis Foursomes first played for the trophy presented by Mr. F. Mullis of Romford Golf Club.
ELCGA Bronze League founded: The Interclub Bronze League started, with Wanstead Golf Club being the first winners of the Bronze Shield.
Its was players with handicaps of 19 and over, played off scratch in the same for mat as the Silver League,
The Bronze Shield
1932
EGU Foursomes Championship Trophies presented by Mr. G. E. Larman (Rochford Hundred Golf Club). EGU Boys Championship first played; the cup was presented by Mr. T. Lloyd Evans (Wanstead) and Mr. E. Cunningham (Chigwell) in 1933.
The Foursomes Trophies
1939
EGU Herbert Bishop Vase presented by Mr. W. H. Bishop (Mersea Island Golf Club) for Captains, Secretaries, and County Executive Committee members.
Mr. W. Herbert Bishop with the Herbert Bishop Vase
1950
ELCGA In 1950 Mrs Olive Munro from Thorpe Hall Golf Club was Womens' County Champion.
At that time, the County did very well at inter-county matchplay singles, but their foursomes play let them down.
Mr Munro who was a great supporter of women’s golf discussed the results with his wife and between them they came up with the idea of an inter-club foursomes competition to give the County players more practise at the techniques of foursomes match play.
The competition was first played in 1951 when the entry fee was 10/- (50p). It proved very popular with all the clubs and players involved and quickly became an annual competition. Mr and Mrs Munro very generously donated the Shield.
Mrs Olive Munro with the Munro Shield
1951
EGU Youth Shield presented by Mr. H. H. Holmes (Chigwell Golf Club) for inter-club junior golf.
The Youth Shield (Scratch)
1963
EGU Upminster Bowl for the Essex Under-25 Championship. Hosted by various clubs for a period which is now currently hosted by Upminster Golf Club annulaly and is traditionally the final Essex OOM event of the season.
The Upminster Bowl
1970
EGU Keating Trophy presented by Michael Keating (Wanstead) for Category One players. This event was positioned early in the Essex Calendar to offer a strokeplay element followed by a matchplay knockout format which sees the top 16 players compete. It was designed to give the Men's and Boy's Team Managers a good look at performing players for the season ahead.
The Keating Trophy
1974
EGU 50th Anniversary celebrated with a dinner attended by Presidents from other counties in the South Eastern League.
1975
EGU Romford Trophy presented by Charles Olley and family for Category One players. The Romford Trophy is traditionally the penultimate Essex OOM Event in the Men's season.
Portraint of Mr Charles Olley with the Romford Trophy
1988
EGU Under-16 Championship Trophy presented by Dennis Cule Smith (Thorpe Hall), County President in 1982 and 1985.
Mr Dennis Cule Smith
1994
EGU Faldo Wedge was purchased from The Golf Foundation when Nick Faldo donated it to help raise money for Grass Roots & Junior Golf. The event remains one of the most well supported events in the Junior calendar.
The Faldo Wedge
1997
Seniors Championship introduced for golfers over 55, with the Chelmsford Challenge Trophy donated in 1998.
The Seniors Championship Trophy
1999
ELCGA The Windfall Trophy was established. The Trophy was commissioned using funds received from the Halifax Building Society during its transition from a building society to a bank. An annual competition with each club playing a 18 hole stableford qualifying competition with their top player going forward to represent their club in the final. It was first won by Maggie Pattison from Boyce Hill.
EGU 75th Anniversary Jubilee Dinner held at Stock Brook Manor Golf Club on 21st May.
The Windfall Trophy
2000
ELCGA celebrated its 100th anniversary.
EGU Freehold Property purchased at 2d Maldon Road, Witham.
EGU Colts Championship initiated for golfers under 21.
2001
EGU Upminster Trophy presented by Roger Walmsley for golfers aged 25 and over.
The Upminister Trophy
2002
EGU Allan Lockwood Trophy presented for the Essex Match Play competition.
The Alan Lockwood Trophy
2003
EGU Union Name Change: The Essex County Amateur Golf Union becomes the Essex Golf Union.
2005
ELCGA - The Harris Bowl was first played for in 2005. It is an inter-club competition, introduced to give smaller clubs the chance to enter inter-club competitions. Clubs enter teams of five players and unlike the other inter-club competitions games are played off handicap. It was an immediate success and is now the most popular interclub competition. We were delighted, in 2022 when Essex WI approached us offering sponsorship.
The Harris Bowl
2007
EGU Norman Plum Trophy competition introduced category 3 and 4 golfers. The Trophy was named in the honour of Past President Norman Plum (Frinton Golf Club)
Mr Norman Plum with the Norman Plum Trophy
2008
EGU Cliffords Trophy introduced, replacing the Courage Trophy competition.
The Cliffords Trophy
2010
EGU Essex Golf Union Limited registered with Companies House, transferring all assets to the new entity.
2018
EGU John Day Trophy competition introduced for Category 3 & 4 senior golfers.
The John Day Trophy
2020
ELCGA: HiLo Foursomes Ko competition introduced to encourage women with higher handicaps to play in County competition. The two players must be from the same club the high player with an HI 29.4 – 45.4 and the low player with an HI + - 20.4
2024
EGU 100th Anniversary of Essex Golf Union celebrated with the introduction of two new competitions: Essex Centenary Trophy (54-hole competition for 4.0 handicappers and below), Centenary Club Team Championship (4-player team competition).
The Annual General Meeting Vote in favor of the unification of the Essex Golf Union and Essex Ladies County Golf Association, effective November 2025. Essex Golf founded.
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
