Sevenoaks Town Golf Club was founded in 1927, by a committed group of golf-loving traders when the then Lord Lionel Bertram Sackville expressed a desire that the townspeople and merchants should have access to his newly-laid out course on the estate. The members of the club used to meet after golf on Sunday mornings in one of the public houses in Sevenoaks. Lord Sackville supported an application to build a clubroom and within a few years these members had raised some £60.00, by interest-free loan, to purchase a portable hut.
Structural improvements and additions followed year on year, and although the demands of the Second World War forced the love of golf far from the minds of its members, peace in 1945 rekindled the enthusiasm of those who returned.
Over the years, the club has grown in stature and numbers. Today Sevenoaks Town Golf Club is a relaxed and friendly club, run by the members for the members. It is almost unique within the UK for being a club without a course, but having the benefit of being able to play golf at Knole Park Golf Course.
Competitions are played on a weekly basis, along with inter-club matches with home and away legs taking place throughout the summer.
Our course is located in one of the very few remaining deer parks in England, which dates back 500 years. The course at Knole Park sits within 1,000 acres of outstanding parkland, with an intriguing Renaissance mansion as a backdrop.
There are far-reaching views over the North Downs and a round of golf here offers an enjoyable blend of challenging holes, history and nature. In 1538 Henry VIII, who enjoyed hunting in Kent, decided that he liked Knole so much, he forced the Archbishop of Canterbury to hand over the house to him.
The golfer should be warned the course is lined with bracken that grows to a man's height in the summer, and will most definitely affect the average golfer's score if he strays from the fairway. Added to this, between 800 and 1,000 deer help to keep the grass short, much to the annoyance of the green keeper; this makes for some very tight lies on the fairway.
Peter Thompson, the President of Sevenoaks Town Golf Club and one of its honorary members.
Old photo of the STGC team playing against Wildernesse Artisans
More recent photo of STGC team playing in the annual match against Knole Park
The Beatles in the Park near the 8th Green.
The Beatles visited Knole in 1967 to make a promotional film for their latest ‘double A sided’ release of 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane'. This film is now regarded as being the first Pop Video.
Both ‘stories’ had filming near what was the Owl House, which is just at the back of Knole House, tucked between the 7th fairway and the 8th tee. It is now someone's home.
In 'Strawberry Fields' an old broken piano with strings attached to a tree is the centre piece with a few kettle drums scattered randomly nearby. The remains of the tree trunk is halfway up the 7th fairway on the right.
For 'Penny Lane' they rode horses through the archway, which was part of the folly at the rear of the Owl House and around the corner towards the 7th fairway.
After that, they picnic next to the pond beside the short Par 3 8th hole. The pond is now very overgrown so it’s difficult to reach the exact spot where they sat.
Click the links below for videos of both songs.
