University Golf Match
Encyclopedia
The University Golf Match (commonly known as the Varsity Match) is the annual golf
match contested between the Full Blue golf teams from Oxford and Cambridge
universities. Dating back to 1878, it is the oldest amateur event in golf, as well as the oldest team event in golf. It was most recently contested in March 2011, at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
, and was won by Oxford by a margin of 8-7.
In 1898 the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society (OCGS) was founded; members qualify by virtue of their participation in the University Golf Match. Since 1920, the OCGS has hosted the President's Putter
, an annual match-play competition for its members held at Rye Golf Club, in Rye
, East Sussex
.
Since then, the University Golf Match has been played at courses all over the United Kingdom, including Royal St George's
, Royal Cinque Ports
, Royal Liverpool, Muirfield, Ganton
, Walton Heath
, Hunstanton
, Aldeburgh
, Royal Porthcawl
, and Sunningdale
.
The choice of venue alternates between the teams, and the match is traditionally played every five years at Rye (last played at Rye in 2009).
The 123rd University Match will be played on 23 and 24 March 2011 at Hunstanton Golf Club.
The University Match itself is contested over the course of two days. Five 36 hole foursomes matches are played on the Friday, and ten 36 hole singles matches are played on the Saturday.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
match contested between the Full Blue golf teams from Oxford and Cambridge
Cambridge University Golf Club
The Cambridge University Golf Club is the golf club for the University of Cambridge, England. It comprises the Blues team, the second-team Stymies, and the Ladies team. The club was founded in 1875, and the first University Golf Match was played against Oxford in 1878...
universities. Dating back to 1878, it is the oldest amateur event in golf, as well as the oldest team event in golf. It was most recently contested in March 2011, at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club is in the town of Deal in the County of Kent in Southern England . It was founded in 1892. The name derives from Deal's membership of an ancient group of trading towns granted special privileges by the medieval English monarchs, known as the Cinque Ports...
, and was won by Oxford by a margin of 8-7.
History
The first University Golf Match was played on March 6, 1878, at Wimbledon Common, courtesy of the London Scottish Golf Club. The match was contested by four singles matches, and used the holes up method of scoring. Oxford, led by Horace Hutchinson, won by a margin of 24 holes. Up to and including 2011, 122 University Golf Matches have been played.In 1898 the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society (OCGS) was founded; members qualify by virtue of their participation in the University Golf Match. Since 1920, the OCGS has hosted the President's Putter
President's Putter
The President's Putter is an annual golf competition contested between former Blues golfers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. The event is held every January at the Rye Golf Club in Rye, East Sussex with the first tournament held in 1920...
, an annual match-play competition for its members held at Rye Golf Club, in Rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
.
Venues
Until the 1890s there were very few golf courses in England, and none of appropriate quality in the Oxford and Cambridge areas. The University Match was initially played on Wimbledon Common, which, along with Royal Blackheath, was one of just a handful of courses in the London area at the time.Since then, the University Golf Match has been played at courses all over the United Kingdom, including Royal St George's
Royal St George's Golf Club
The Royal St George's Golf Club is one of the premier golf clubs in the United Kingdom, and one of the courses on The Open Championship rotation. It has hosted 13 Open championships since 1894, when it became the first club outside Scotland to host the championship...
, Royal Cinque Ports
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club is in the town of Deal in the County of Kent in Southern England . It was founded in 1892. The name derives from Deal's membership of an ancient group of trading towns granted special privileges by the medieval English monarchs, known as the Cinque Ports...
, Royal Liverpool, Muirfield, Ganton
Ganton, North Yorkshire
Ganton is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is about 7 miles west of the coastal town of Filey, and 9 miles southwest of Scarborough....
, Walton Heath
Walton Heath Golf Club
Walton Heath Golf Club is a golf club located just outside Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey, England, that was founded in 1903.The club comprises two 18-hole golf courses, both of which are well known for having heather covering many of the areas of rough. The Old Course was the first to open in 1904,...
, Hunstanton
Hunstanton
Hunstanton, often pronounced by locals as and known colloquially as 'Sunny Hunny', is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, facing The Wash....
, Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
, Royal Porthcawl
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club
Royal Porthcawl Golf Club is a golf club located to the north of Porthcawl and bordering the Bristol Channel, in Wales.The club has hosted many prestigious tournaments including The Amateur Championship on six occasions, the Walker Cup in 1995, the Curtis Cup in 1964, the British Masters in 1961,...
, and Sunningdale
Sunningdale Golf Club
Sunningdale Golf Club is a golf club, located approximately 30 miles to the west of London, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England....
.
The choice of venue alternates between the teams, and the match is traditionally played every five years at Rye (last played at Rye in 2009).
The 123rd University Match will be played on 23 and 24 March 2011 at Hunstanton Golf Club.
Present-day competition
Each team comprises ten players plus two reserves. The reserves traditionally play the "Dinner Match" on the Thursday of the Varsity Match week: an 18 hole alternate shot foursomes match, followed by an 18 holes singles match. The losing team is responsible for paying the bill for the Varsity Match dinner on the Saturday evening.The University Match itself is contested over the course of two days. Five 36 hole foursomes matches are played on the Friday, and ten 36 hole singles matches are played on the Saturday.