In the beginning there was chaos and havoc

Shock waves ripped through the mixed ranks of golfers, who for three years had been contentedly pounding the fairways of a nine hole course on the Southchurch Hall Estate in Southend, close to what is now Southchurch Park. The year was 1896 and it seemed that the end was in sight for Southend Golf Club.

The cause for their consternation, as the minute book of 31^st January 1896 records, was the most unwelcome receipt of a notice from Southend Council that they were planning to run a sewer through the golf links and compounding the misery still further, intended digging out a lake and building a pumping station as well. To even the most optimistic member it was clear that this construction would cause havoc and leave the course in ruins. 

That could have been the end of the club, but a major local land owner and pillar of the local establishment Mr James Tabor came to the rescue with the magnanimous offer to the club of several acres of land in Rochford, together with rooms in the Hall.  The committee wasted no time in concluding that “the change should be effected with the utmost expediency.” So it was that on 5^th November the committee received a letter from Mr Tabor which offered the club use of a 70 acre tract of land for three years for the annual rent of £10 0s 0d.

Falling over themselves to accept the terms at their Special General meeting on 12^th November 1896 members passed two resolutions: That the links at Southchurch be at once abandoned and Mr Tabor’s offer permitting an 18 hole course to be laid out at Rochford Meadows be accepted; and that the name of the club be changed to Rochford Hundred Golf Club.  Very appropriately Mr James Tabor was elected as President and Rochford Hundred Golf Club was born – albeit named three years late! Since all the members moved en bloc to Rochford it appears to have been universally accepted that the establishment of the Rochford Hundred Golf Club be backdated to the formation of the Southend Club in 1893, and that is in fact the year appearing in the records of the golf historian at St Andrews. 

The last two months of 1896 were hectic for the born again Rochford Hundred Golf Club, with the committee appearing to have been in almost constant session. They received and accepted estimate of £60.13s.0d for laying out of the course, in charge of which was Mr Peter Paxton (b. 20th October 1857 in Musselburgh, Fife, Scotland). In passing it's worth mentioning that Paxton was an inventive and much respected club maker of the day and during his playing career was runner-up to Bob Ferguson in The Open Championship of 1880.  In his report on this project Peter Paxton said "On going down to examine the ground for the proposed new golf links at Rochford, I find it to be one of the most suitable I ever saw. The pasture is excellent and will make a good eighteen hole course. The soil is gravelly,with plenty of natural hazards in the form of brooks, ponds, hedges and roads. The holes vary from 425 yards down to 130 yards. This will make a capital course, perfectly dry and free from worm casts." 

Eltham Golf Club's W. Toogood applied for the situation of professional at Rochford and at yet another meeting it was agreed that to pay for this 30 club members would be asked to pay 2½ years subscription in advance. On 9^th December 1896 with the club membership boasting “100 players and 40 ladies” the professional Toogood was engaged at a wage of 15s weekly. His duties were to “take entire charge of course and caddies and the general duties of greenkeeper and coach, and to play with members when required charging 2s 6d per round." Additionally Mr Tabor offered him a room in Rochford Hall “for living” plus a workshop. 

Seven days later it was agreed that although the first nine holes had been completed only the first seven holes should be played on Sundays, presumably to placate church going members and to avoid the possibility of injury to local residents heading for services in their Sunday best. At the same meeting it was proposed and carried unanimously that an entrance fee of £1 0s 0d be added to the subscriptions of lady members joining the club from that date. It will come as no surprise to hear that this would be the cause of continuing trouble. 

The committee decided that the formal opening of Rochford Hundred Golf Club would be on Boxing Day and Mrs James Tabor had consented to drive the first ball. Unfortunately due to her illness the 'drive-in' was delayed until Saturday 16 January 1897 when she performed the ceremony using a silver cleek presented to her by the members. Golf action was underway at Rochford, caddies were available for hire at a fee of 6d for 18 holes and Professional Toogood engaged on the basis of one month's notice on either side. He lived in the Hall without the benefits of running water, gas, or electricity and stepped out to take the members under his wing.

The committee elected Prime Minister of the day The Rt. Hon. A.J.Balfour as an honorary member of the club and whilst this had been a clear-cut decision they still struggled with the debate about that £1 0s 0d extra entrance fee for new lady members. The minutes tell us that Mr W. Walker told the meeting that he was astonished at the earlier decision, but Mr Draper - presumably the chairman, simply recorded an observation that there had been "a unanimous difference of opinions". The life and times of Rochford Hundred Golf Club had really begun.