England Amateur International Golfer. Horace was probably our greatest club golfer.
Horace Castle was the son of Abercrombie and Jane Castle. According to the Ancestry files, Horace was one of nine brothers and four sisters. 2nd Lt. Horace Guthrie Castle R.E. won the M.C.
Born; 1877 in Burgess Hill, Sussex. Died : March 1955 Aged 77.In the Parish of Cuckfield. Marriage: Horace married Lilian Georgina Shaw in 1909 but she sadly passed away in 1911. ( See Lahinch G.C. Comments below ).They had a son Dennis Guthrie Castle . Horace remarried Dorothy Margaret Hewitt in 1921 , they had three children, Cecile, Stephen and Colin. Census Entry 1911.
He worked at the Stock Exchange.
During the early days as golf clubs were being created, it was quite common for very good amateurs to be members of a number of clubs.
Horace Castle was a member of Epsom, Chiswick, Fulwell and Lahinch and possibly others. He was one of the foremost amateur golfers of his time.
During the beginning of the 1900`s Horace Castle held the course records at Chiswick 64, Epsom 71, Lahinch 72 and Sunningdale 73.
He won the Epsom Golf Club Championship, The Brooks Cup in October 1902 with 76, 1903 with 71 and in 1904 with a score of 79. It was played for twice a year in those days and I can only assume that he was playing elsewhere earlier in the year.
Horace also won the Rosebery Medal in October 1902 with a score of 76 + 3 = 79. He won it again in October 1903 with a score of 71 + 6 = 77.
Golfing achievements elsewhere:
1902 Won the St Georges Challenge Cup, known as the Vase at Sandwich. This trophy was second only to the Amateur Championship. Other winners included many Amateur and Open Champions and International Golfers, including John Ball Jnr, Harold Hilton, Freddie Tait, Peter Benka, Michael Bonallack, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Westwood.
1903 & 1904: Amateur Internationals. England v Scotland.
1904: Runner Up in South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch, Frinton won 1 up. Won the Phelps Vase at Lahinch, it is the oldest trophy played for at Lahinch G.C.. Won the McDonnell Cup, a Mixed Foursomes Match Play Competition at Lahinch , dating back to 1894. His partner was his future wife Lilian Shaw.
1905: Won the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch, beating A C Lincoln from South Herts 5 and 3. Won Sunningdale`s Longman Cup ( Spring & Autumn Scratch aggregate ).
Plus many other trophies I`m sure.
Notations relating to the aforementioned
- Chiswick Golf Club founded 1892 was sold in 1907 for redevelopment.
- Fulwell Golf Club. 1907 the Castle family joined Fulwell Golf Club. In 1908 the family donated a trophy to Fulwell that is still played for today. An image of the trophy and of Horace Castle can be found on the clubs website.
- Lahinch Golf Club, founded 1892. The South of Ireland Championship is the oldest Provincial Championship in Ireland. There were two weeks of Competitions in Lahinch in September in the early days. The Irish Open Championship was played in the first week of September and golfers came on from there to play in the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch. Leading players from England and Scotland competed at that time.
- Lahinch Golf Club. Harold Castles partner in the McDonnell Cup was Miss Lilian Georgina Shaw, daughter of Alexander Shaw, the founder of Lahinch Golf Club. Alexander was the owner of a famous bacon factory in the city. Alexander Shaw was President and Captain of both Lahinch and Limerick Golf Clubs.
Horace G Castle appeared in the book "Great Golfers Their Methods at a Glance" by George W Belda, 1904. His swing was captured by Beldam a photographer.
Articles of interest:
"Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News", October 1904 - article about Horace Castle.
Research courtesy of Les Smithers who writes "I am indebted to the historians at the R and A Museum, Fullwell G.C., Royal St George`s and Lahinch"
Read the email to Les from the R&A Museum giving further detail.