The Grahamstown Golf Club was founded in 1891. Membership had reached 35 by 1902 and was up to 101 by 1906. It reached an all time high of 609 in 1990.

The 1909 South Africa Ladies Open was held in Grahamstown.

Much of the club's early records where lost in 1915 when the clubhouse was virtually destroyed by fire.

1932 saw the course relocated for the fourth time to its present location and building began on the clubhouse in 1933.

The club laid the first experimental grass green (the 18th) in 1937. The last green was converted to grass by 1940. All the greens had previously been surfaced by "Kimberley blue ground".

In 1957 Bobby Locke and Peter Thomson visited Grahamstown and both scored 71.

After proposals by Grahamstown, the Eastern Province Sunday golf league was introduced in 1964.

The course record of 66 was established in 1979 by Bobby Robbins, and in 1981 ladies were permitted into the bar for the first time.

In 1990 the club's membership reaches an all time high of 609, which includes 146 students.

Some interesting club trivia

Norman Elston's lifetime eclectic score for the course is a remarkable 38 gross, made up of 2,3,2,2,3,2,2,2,2=20 on the outward nine and 2,2,1,2,2,3,3,1,2=18 on the homeward nine. In 2002 he had been a member of the club since 1940, a total of 61 years.

The 66 carded by Bobby Robbins remains the course record in a medal round. Norman Eslton once carded a 64 gross in a betterball game.

In the 1940's Professor Don Liddell was stranded on the 17th tee with only his putter in his hand and his caddy down the fairway. He teed off in exasperation, only to sink the ball, for a hole in one from 180 meters. Possibly the longest putt in the world.

Reference

Eales H and Cross R, A History of the Grahamstown Golf Club 1891--1996.