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Oh how very satisfactory - no years of seeking planning permission,
no protests from the local residents, no calling in
of eminent golf architects to reshape the natural landscape
with giant earth movers.
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They
called themselves the Liliput Golf Club, not as an allusion
to Gulliver's Travels, but because Gulliver was the name
of the genial and eccentric landlord of the White Horse
Inn, which became a very convenient "19th hole".
Thus the birth of our nine-hole golf course was a delightfully
amateur affair.
Where Holtye once enjoyed equal status to the likes of
Royal Ashdown in terms of its exclusivity, the Liliput
Club being the private playground not only of the local
gentry it also boasted many titled members, the De La
Warr family in particular being Club Presidents for decades.
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The Liliput name was dropped in favour of Holtye Golf
Club in April 1906. However, the Club was to suffer times
of hardship and not only in the war years did it come
near to closure and it would become the poor relation
to the more illustrious local clubs.
Now in modern times it no longer needs to live in the
shadow of these larger clubs, certainly not in terms of
course quality and condition, nor in its financial security,
its practice facilities, its Pro Shop which is more than
a match for its rivals, and its clubhouse facilities although
not lavish, are both charming and appropriate for our
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next..
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