• 'It is the constant and undying hope
    for improvement that makes golf so
    exquisitely worth the playing'

    Bernard Darwin






  • 'Art and nature thus in line
    Go to make a pefrect nine'

    W.S. Gilbert on Royal Worlington






  • 'Don't play too much golf.
    Two rounds a day is plenty'

    Harry Vardon




  • 'Saturday by Saturday and mostly on Sundays too,
    we did receive a golfing education which could
    be matched by young fellows of that age in no
    other way.'

    Henry Longhurst

About the Club

 

The Club
The CUGC has a mandate to play and promote the game of golf among the members of the university community.  Accordingly, it is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students, including those attending the university from abroad, and recent teams have had a cosmopolitan flavour to them.    

Men’s golf at Cambridge is a Full Blue sport, and there are two men’s match teams – the Blues (first) team and the Stymies (second) team.  The Blues are solid single-figure handicap players, with the Stymies being single-figure to mid-handicap players.  However, it is important to note that there is often considerable movement between the teams through the season as improvements and performances dictate.   Ladies’ golf at Cambridge is a Half Blue sport, and the Ladies team includes solid single-figure to mid-handicap players.  The In-Laws golfing society caters to the CUGC’s recreational players.

 

The Season
Golf at Cambridge is different to that at most other universities, as the teams play against clubs rather than against other universities.  All three teams play regular fixtures in both the Michelmas and Lent terms against some of the finest clubs in the south of England.  We are fortunate to be hosted by these clubs free of charge, and full copies of the fixture lists are available for the Blues, Stymies and Ladies.  

The CUGC is also fortunate to have a relationship with the Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club that extends back for over 100 years.  Although it is a 9-hole course, Worlington has long been reputed to be the best course of its kind in Britain, and is ranked in the top 100 courses in the country.  Worlington also has quality practice facilities and, most importantly, the members and staff are keenly interested in, and supportive of, the CUGC and its endeavours.  It is truly a “home from home”.  The Blues, Stymies and Ladies travel regularly to Worlington for formal and informal team practice and playing sessions, and all three squads receive regular coaching from Richard Beadles, the head professional at Worlington and a former Challenge Tour player.  

All of this builds towards selection at the end of Lent term to compete for one of the teams against its Oxford University counterpart in the annual Varsity Match.  The men’s Varsity Match was first played in 1878, and can justifiably claim to be the oldest amateur competition in golf.  The Ladies‘ match was first played in 1997.  

As with any university sport, the season is a busy time.  However, no matter what your subject, golf can be built around work, as has been proved by generations of Cambridge golfers who have excelled both academically and on the course.     

 

Social Activities
Members of the CUGC routinely gather during the week, including for the announcement of the weekend’s teams each Thursday evening at 8:00pm at the Hawks Club.  The club also hosts socials most Wednesday evenings during term time for those looking for a good night out.  

The CUGC hosts formal dinners throughout the year as well.  Members of the club gather for Christmas dinner at the end of Michelmas term each year, and those selected to represent the CUGC in the Varsity Match attend the Selection Dinner, usually held at the end of Lent Term.  

 

Further Enquiries
If you are interested in playing for one of the teams, or if you have any further questions about the CUGC or its activities, please Contact Us.