The Club Origins

This brief history of Came Down's origins starts with a private club situated at Broadway Farm locally know as 'Lorton Links'. When play there was terminated in 1895, negotiations began with the landowner Lord Portarlington for 180 acres on Came Down. Successful talks led to Tom Dunn of Bournemouth laying out the original 9 hole course of 3,620 yards complete with small pavilion. The 'Dorchester Golf Club' opened for play on the 2nd of March 1896.

With golf in Bournemouth proving such a successful attraction, Weymouth Town Council enlisted former Open Champion J.H. Taylor as their golf course architect in 1904, with a view to setting up a first-class 18 hole course. Taylor took the view that there was no land suitable for golf south of the Ridgeway and recommended the expansion of the Dorchester Club's course to 18 holes. The proposal was carried out and the course extended to 18 holes over 6,090 yards. In addition, a new clubhouse was constructed at the northern end of the course and the Great Western Railway were persuaded to build a 'halt' at Monkton to provide golfers with easier access to the course just a mile away. The new course opened under the revised name of the 'Weymouth, Dorchester and County Golf Club' on the 15th May 1906.

The old clubhouse in the 1930s

During 1910 the club appointed Ernest Whitcombe to be the club Professional. Later his mother Bessie was appointed as the stewardess and brought her other two sons, Charles and Reg. The family stayed for 17 years and did much to put the club on the map. During the 1920's the brothers got to know Samuel Ryder, a county member who played at Came Down when on holiday Weymouth.

During 1923 and 1924 the club was thriving, helped by the fame and popularity of the Whitcombe brothers. A resolution was passed to liquidate the original company known as 'Weymouth, Dorchester and County Golf Club Company' and alter the name to 'Came Down Golf Club'. It was also agreed to raise money for improvement to the course and clubhouse. It was not until 1927 however that the work started. Harry Shapland Colt was employed to undertake a major course reconstruction. Mr Colt was himself a fine player but even more famous world-wide as a golf course architect responsible for such courses as
Sunningdale, Wentworth, Royal Portrush and the redesign 
of Broadstone.

For more information about the Club and the Ryder Cup, click on the attached link to view the information collated by Peter Fry a Member of the Club

http://www.samuelryderstory.co.uk