The First Minute Book Bob Jones’ Corner
in 1930, his “annus miribalis” or, as it is known Stateside, “the impregnable quadrilateral”, meaning that he was victorious in the Amateur and Open Championships on both sides of the Atlantic. On our walls in the inner hall are some fine photos of Bob Jones, a flicker sequence of photos of his swing, his scorecards from each round and a signed results sheet. As most know, Jones retired from golf immediately
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Mr R T Jones won The Open at Hoylake
afterwards at the age of just 28. Some letters exchanged between Jones and Royal Liverpool Club Captain, John Laurie, in the Club’s centenary year of 1969 are an interesting, dignified window on the relationship between Hoylake and the, by then, ailing Bobby Jones. Sadly, he died just two years later. To quote from Joe Pinnington’s essay in his 2006 book “Mighty Winds...Mighty Champions”: “Hoylake shaped the legend that is Bobby Jones and Jones shaped the institution that is Hoylake”.
invaluable records of the Club. When the founding Members held their first meeting to form the Liverpool Golf Club in May 1869, their discussion and decisions from that and later meetings were recorded in a rather insignificant ‘little black book’. With the popularity of the game and the appeal of the Links quickly established, a grander and more substantial Minute Book was brought into use and the first minutes were transposed to the new ledger. The record of the early meetings, principally about golf and admission of members, was hand written in beautiful, italic script which most of us are unable to match in our impatient and digitised world. For a student of the history of the game and our Club, the records are a veritable treasure. I was pleased to refurbish the Minute Book last year so it should withstand the test of time and scrutiny for the foreseeable future. But the real gem is that first ‘little black book’.
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Hidden away in the Secretary’s office are the
The James Muir Dowie Telescope 30
This fine telescope was presented as a
gift to the Club in 1881 by James Muir Dowie, Hoylake’s first Captain in the years 1869 to 1871. Photographs suggest that the telescope was originally positioned on the balcony outside
the Dining Room. Unfortunately, at a time unknown, it was removed
and then lost altogether. In 2006, the telescope was happily rediscovered and restored to the Club’s ownership. The new Library provides an ideal location to permanently display it for the enjoyment of members and guests. Optically, it is intact but definition is far below that of cheap and easily available modern binoculars. Nevertheless, it has great value as an impressive and historically
important Club artefact. So much so that, in 2007, the Telescope Match was inaugurated on the Friday prior to the Spring Meeting and Dinner, played between a team of overseas members and home based members. This provides an additional golf and social function for those members who make the outstanding effort to travel such long distances to support the Club’s most important annual event.■
ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB 2 014 MAGAZINE
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