Golf Course Architecture - Issue 59, January 2020

49 drain and a spring seeping out of the immediately adjacent Malvern Hills. During the last few years several prominent golf course architects, writers, historians and golf course architecture enthusiasts have visited the club and viewed the green in question, which is where the headline of this piece originated. Each was very generous and encouraging with comments and others who wish to visit and see what’s on the ground are very welcome. At the time of writing in late 2019, the green is still in an unrestored state with no work having been done on it for 18 months or so. Worcestershire GC is a private members’ club, owned and financed by the membership and as such finances and projects at the club have different priorities at different times and currently restoring this old green, irrespective of how unique it may be in golf course design history, is not necessarily seen as a priority. Perhaps one day it may be although its remote location several hundred yards away from the other holes on the existing course mean it cannot easily be combined with the existing course routing. One possible option would be for it to become part of a separate short course, although this would require membership approval. GCA David Thomas is historian of the Worcestershire Golf Club. He would like to thank Neil Crafter and Adam Lawrence for their help with the research for this piece The yellow circle on the above present-day satellite image shows the location of the green site on an unused area of land owned by the club. Right, an image from 1946 that shows the green site remained untouched following a compulsory purchase order to build a hospital for casualties of World War II Photo: Google Earth Photo: Courtesy of David Thomas