THE DUN SILVER CROSS 1872


and Sure’ does not feature. This medal is awarded to the scratch winner of the second Spring Meeting. John Dun was elected Captain in 1873


and he marked the honour by presenting The Dun Challenge Cross, to be awarded for the second best scratch score at the first day of the Spring Meeting, superseding the Adamson Gold Medal. The Dun Challenge Silver Cross is again markedly different in design being a Maltese cross with a gold Royal Liverpool Golf Club medallion at its centre. Another elegant medal presented in


1875 is the Milligan St Andrews Gold Cross. This is in the form of a shield inscribed with the Club’s name around the rim surmounted on a cross of St Andrews, a Liver, crossed clubs, ‘Far and Sure’ and two golf balls (for the first time), the whole encircled by a Ducal crown. Milligan was Captain in 1875 and the medal is awarded to the scratch winner of the annual St Andrews Meeting. A gold leaf on the rear records the names of the early winners. Lord Stanley of Alderley owned the


golf course land (the Club purchased the freehold in 1911) and in 1882 he presented the medal which bears his name for the second best scratch score at the Spring Meeting’s second day. This is a gold medal with ‘Royal Liverpool Golf Club’ round the edge, a medallion at the centre with a golfer surmounted by a Liver and crossed golf clubs backed by a cross and oak leaf design with nine golf balls around the edge. Many other medals were donated later


34 ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB MAGAZINE 2013


THE MILLIGAN GOLD CROSS 1875


by others or acquired in different ways but their shape and design tended to draw on these early models. There are also many variants of the badge elsewhere on the Captain’s Board in the Club Room, the stone arch over the main door (1895), and the memorial plates over the Club Room fireplaces. Most of us are now only familiar with the two current designs – the one more traditional, the other simplified – but the better golfers amongst us who have the ability to win the scratch competitions, whose names are recorded in the Competition Book or engraved on cups and trophies, will know that there are other variations. Each major competition winner or runner up is given a gold or silver medallion as a permanent memento. These are either large (slightly bigger than a 10 pence piece) or small (about pound coin size) but with different designs. The large memento uses the distinctive badge design of the Club Gold Medal, while the small one has two interlocking shields – one the Liver and the other quartered national emblems - which do not seem to feature anywhere else on our memorabilia. It is this rich diversity which adds to the


heritage of our Club and is an intriguing facet of its remarkable history. So – whether we show no golf balls, or 2, 4, 6, 9 or 15, whether the crossed golf clubs are upright or inverted, whether we include ‘Far and Sure’ sometimes or not at all - there is provenance


LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY’S GOLD MEDAL 1882


in abundance and the diversity is fascinating. We can enjoy this variation in design


but can we draw any conclusions? Few, I think, other than that the emerging importance of competitive golf and the prestige of the Club in its early years encouraged the stalwart officers and gentry of the era to associate themselves with both game and Club by donating distinctive medals, cups and trophies. Did they know that their generosity would be the foundation of one of the finest collections of historic golf artefacts outside of St Andrews? Probably not, though they doubtless hoped that Royal Liverpool would be regarded always as one of the game’s great courses – but little knowing that , in the future, the crest they helped create would become the emblem of a links known and admired throughout the golfing world. ■


CREST ON CLUBHOUSE


LARGE CLUB MEDALLION


SMALL CLUB MEDALLION


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64