Col. S.V. Hotchkin
Name:
Col. Stafford Vere HotchkinCountry:
EnglandLived:
[1876-1953]. Born on May 5, 1876 in Lakeside, nr Finsthwaite (Lake Windermere), Westmorland. Died on Aug 8, 1953 in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire (aged 77).Original/Home Club:
Woodhall Spa GCOccupation:
Landowner; army officer (21st Lancers, Leicestershire Yeomanry and Royal Horse Artillery); Conservative MP for Horncastle, Lincs (next to Woodhall Spa); High Sherrif (of Rutland); President of the English Golf Union; golf course architect; golf writer.Turned Pro:
n/aAwarded the Military Cross in the 1914-18 war (the UK's second highest military honour for officers).
Hotchkin's best known work includes, but is not limited to:
ENGLAND:
Ashridge GC, Herts (1932, with Cecil K. Hutchison & Sir Guy Campbell) / West Sussex GC, W Sussex (1931, with Hutchison & Campbell) / Woodhall Spa, Lincs (1920s, modifications with Cecil Hutchison).
SOUTH AFRICA:
Durban CC, KZN (1928, major modifications) / East London GC, Eastern Cape (1928) / Humewood GC, Port Elizabeth (1931) / King David Mowbray GC, Cape Town (1928, major modifications) / Royal Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (1928, major modifications).
After meritoriously serving with the Royal Horse Artillery in Palestine during the First World War, Hotchkin developed an interest in golf course architecture. Returning to England in 1920, he bought his home course, Woodhall Spa, and set about remodelling it with renowned course architect Cecil K. Hutchison. The original nine-hole Woodhall Spa course had been designed by Harry Vardon, and was subsequently extended to eighteen by Harry Colt. It was Colt's layout that Hotchkin and Hutchison revamped, retaining only one of the great man’s greens.
In the early 1920s Hotchkin published his famous text, The Principles of Golf Architecture. By the late 1920s he had set-up his own golf course design company, Ferigna ... which took its name from his revolutionary iron-based turf dressings and fertilisers.
In 1928 fellow designer Hutchison and family friend Sir Guy Campbell had joined Ferigna. The firm covered all aspects of golf course design, construction, maintenance, equipment, turf dressing and seeding. With its three ex-military officers at the helm, Ferigna undertook the design and construction of several courses in the south of England ... most notably, West Sussex (1931) and Ashridge (1932).
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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