Ogbourne Downs Golf Club, Wiltshire, UK

North Wilts or Swindon?

At a meeting of the committee on December 4th 1907, a letter from Mr. D Hussey Freke was read in which he pointed out that the golf club at Devizes was called The North Wilts Golf Club and asking that another name be chosen by the Club to avoid confusion. Mr DCA Morrison proposed and Mr Stote seconded that Mr Withy be asked to draft a reply. No details of the reply have come to light and the lack of action indicates that the suggestion was rejected.

Matters moved more elegantly in those days and it was not until July 1911 that another letter was received from Devizes protesting at the use by the Club of their name. Again, no action was apparently taken.

A while later (13 year to be precise) matters came to a head when a further letter was received in May 1924 from the Secretary of North Wilts Golf Club in Devizes (this was after the formation of the Wilts County Union). The letter drew attention to the confusion that was arising from the fact that for nearly 20 years the Swindon and Devizes clubs had been using the same name. It was agreed that at the next AGM a suggestion would be made to change the name to Swindon Golf Club. This was duly accepted at the AGM on 23rd February 1925.

All was well until the municipal golf club at Broome Manor in Swindon was opened and it was assumed by many, incorrectly, that was in fact Swindon Golf Club.