Hole Names a brief explanation

The names of the holes perhaps need a little explanation, as a few of them have changed over the years.

1st Hole - "The Pond". Fifty years ago the trees were almost non-existent to the front left of the green, but the hollow held more water than today, hence "The Pond". In more recent times the name "The Copse" fits the area better.

2nd Hole - "Devil's Elbow". A difficult dog-leg hole.

3rd Hole "The Summit ". Highest point (particularly of a mountain !).

4th Hole - "Hawtree's Hill". Raised green constructed by Hawtree & Taylor, based on the design of James Braid.

5th Hole - "The Brook". Relating to the brook in front of the green.

6th Hole - "Turner's". Surname of a family heavily involved in the early days of Boyce Hill.

7th Hole - "The Boundary". A hole running, as it does today, along the north boundary of the Course.

8th Hole - "The Spinney". Named after the spinney running down the left-hand side of the hole.

9th Hole - "The Elms". Rather a misnomer today as the elm trees running along the left hand ditch disappeared with the "Dutch Elm Disease" that hit the Course in 1970.

10th Hole - " Taylor 's Choice". J. H. Taylor, five times Open Champion, was a partner in the construction firm of Hawtree & Taylor who made James Braid's alterations to the Course.

11th Hole - "Bijou". A Bijou is described in the dictionary as a "Jewel".

12th Hole - "The Dog Leg". As the name implies a dog-leg shaped hole.

13th Hole - "Oak Rise". There are a number, or there were a number, of oak trees along the ditch on the right-hand side of the hole.

14th Hole - "The Ravine". The slope down to the cross ditch and up the other side was considered a ravine, but the name was later transferred to the Seventeenth and the hole was renamed "The Glen", due to the Thundersley Glen over the fence to the right-hand side of the hole. Now known as "Goss Glen" after Harry Goss, long-time member and Club President, who led the tree planting schemes during the last thirty years of the Twentieth Century.

15th Hole - "The Frying Pan". One assumes the name is based on the shape of the long short hole, a narrow straight flat fairway and a large round green attached at the far end. Some members consider the name suggests the warmth of the hole during the summer months.

16th Hole - "Long Trail". Coming as this hole does towards the end of one's round the gradual uphill climb of over 40 yards is well described by its name.

17th Hole - "Mount Misery". This name was in use for many years and the hole was certainly a mountain to climb as one turned back towards the Club House. Some years later the name "Ravine" was transferred from the Fourteenth and became "Ryan's Ravine" as a reminder of Ernest "Bonzo' Ryan, long-time Head Greenkeeper and Honorary Member, who daily walked up and down the fairway of this hole to his house near the Seventeenth and Fourteenth tees.

18th Hole - "Hoppit". This name has remained since the first names were coined for the various holes at Boyce Hill, so once you have completed the round -"Hoppit"!