Download - European Institute of Golf Course Architects

Czechoslovakian Golf History
till the Year 2011
Autor: Michael Jon; 8.11.2009
Cvičitel
Jakub Cervenka, student EIGCA

Czechoslovakia till 1989
- Disclaimer -
This presentation was based on a publication
“History of Golf in the Czech Counties
and Slovakia” and will quote passages from it.
The author of this very distinguished
publication is a former Vice President of the
Czech Golf Federation, an important
personality from Líšnice Golf Club and the
entire Czech Golf scene, Mr. Prokop Sedlák.
Autor: Michael Jon; 8.11.2009

Known for his deep respect for golf traditions which his
conduct has always reflected.
Prokop Sedlák
Inducted into Czech Golf Hall of Fame in 2005 for years
of organising activities for the Czech Golf scene and
extensive publishing about Czech Golf history
Son of a founding member of the Líšnice Golf Club (in
1928)
Successful golfer (member of the Líšnice Golf Club since
1966)
Secretary of the first Czechoslovakian Golf Federation
established in 1968 - for 5 years
Member of the Czech and Moravian Golf Federation
Committee
Member of the Czech Golf Federation Committee for 12
years, the last four-year-tenure as its Vice President
President of the Líšnice Golf Club (1993 – 1996)
Author of a booklet about the Líšnice Golf Club’s pre-WW
II
history, an online extensive study about Czech Golf
history, a number of articles about the history of Czech
Golf and its personalities and a book History of Golf in
the Czech Counties and Slovakia published in 2004

First Steps
Taken by golf enthusiasts in Prague at the Císařská louka isle as early as 1898
First 9-hole Golf Course in Karlovy Vary opened in 1904
Fist tournament - The Fürstenberg’s Trophy organised in 1906 in Karlovy Vary, and over
the years won by the following international players:
1906Mr. Diaz Albertini Paris
1907Mr. D. F. Murphy New York
1908 Mr. High Write Chicago
1909Mr. O. P. Cormant New York
1910Mr. S. W. Bates
1911Mr. Lee A. Agneur New York
1927Mr. Alex Rewell Chicago

1905 – Mariánské Lázně
Golf Course opened in presence and through the initiative of the
English King, Edward VII
Featured in Golf Illustrated in 1909
On the occasion of the 100 anniversary, officially authorised by Her Royal Highness,
Queen Elizabeth II, to use the attribute Royal, thus changing its name to the Royal
Golf Club Mariánské Lázně.

1926 - Golf Club Praha
Established in March 1926, lead by a 7-member
management echelon, President Ing. Jaroslav Jahn
Organised the first tournament while the golf course
was still under construction in Autumn 1927
Enjoyed the teaching skills of an English Golf
Professional Arnold Linacre
On January 20th, 1928, its honorary
committee was elected:
Honorary President: Jan Masaryk
Honorary Members:
Dr. Karel Baxa, Prague Major
Sir G. R. Clerk, a former UK Ambassador
Mr. Levis Einstein, US Ambassador
Ing. František Gross
Dr. Otto Petschk,
Dr. Jaroslav Preiss
Army General Zdeněk Weinerek.

1928 – Golf Club Líšnice
Established on November 21st, 1928
The Founding Members:
President: Prof. Ing. Karel Vávra
Vice President: Dr. Ludvík Vaněk
Secretary: Dr. Prokop Sedlák
Treasurer: Dr. Ladislav Haškovec
Green Keeper: Jaroslav O.Franta
The Club symbol is very traditional -
a yellow target; the club flag - a
red-yellow-and-white tricolour
Established as a male golf club
Allowing the significant others to accompany
their men and play, but not to attend the club
meetings (until 1958).

1929 & František Ringhoffer
A beautiful private 18-hole Golf Course
adjacent to the summer home of František
Ringhoffer in Volešovice is featured for the
first time in the 1928’s August Issue of the
Tennis-Golf Revue
In the 1920s strictly private, later becoming
the venue for many international tournaments
A Golf Course is built in the village Olšová
Vrata by Karlovy Vary.

1929 & New
International Rules
In November 1929, the Royal & Ancient Golf
Club of St. Andrews declares that clubs with
iron shafts may be used at play at all
tournaments.
1929 sees the first Czech version of the
Golf Rules owing to the hard work and care
of the Golf Club Praha
A literal translation of the rules published
by the Royal & Ancient GC of St. Andrews,
featuring attached index and golf dictionary in
five languages (English, Czech, German,
French and Italian)

Reasons
1929 – Czech Golf Federation
Need to unify the golf management at the national level
Call for unified rules and ways of setting handicaps
Need to elect a body to organise the Czechoslovakian National Championship
Need to create a committee to include golf in the Czechoslovakian sports organisation.
The first management echelon:
František Ringhoffer, Sen. - President (RGC Volešovice, GCP)
Ing. Jaroslav Jahn – Vice President (GCP)
JUDr. Ferdinand Tonder - Secretary (GCL)
E. Winter - Treasurer (GC Piešťany)
Dr. Karel Rössler - Echelon member representing GC Praha
Felix Ringhoffer - Echelon member representing RGC Volešovice
JUDr. Adolf Hoffmeister - Echelon member representing GC Líšnice
Army Colonel Hennig - Echelon member representing GC Piešťany
Ing. Josef Charvát - General Secretary.

1929 – Czech Golf Federation
Two secondary management echelons were also established
1) Technical
2) Promotional
Technical Committee’s responsibility
a) to process all technical issues
b) prepare and organise the local and union games
c) provide definitive interpretations of the golf rules
At its first meeting, it voted as follows:
1) All members of the Association are bound by the rules of the Royal and Ancient GC
of St. Andrews
2) Scratch Scores for all member Golf Courses united in the Association will follow
The regulations of the “British Golf Unions Joint Advisory Committee” and
will be set by the Association’s Secretariat.

1937 – European Golf Association
1937 – European Golf Association
A new Golf Course launches its operations in Karlovy Vary
The Golf Course in Motol (opened since 1927 and having hosted 2 National and 2
International Amateur Championships of Czechoslovakia) terminates its operations
Golf Club Praha starts its move to Klánovice;
Mariánské Lázně host The Open Czechoslovakian Championship attended and won by
the British Professional, Henry Cotton, twice the winner of The British Open;
The European Golf Association is established in Luxembourg with the
Czechoslovakian Golf Association as one of its founding members.

Era of the Shadows and Darkness
1938 – The Peak of the Famous pre-WW II Era of Czech
Golf
Two West Bohemian courses of excellent quality for
top competitions
- the new Karlovy Vary Golf Course was referred to in
superlatives as one of the best courses of the
continent
- a new Golf Course under construction by Klánovice (it
launched its operations while still under construction on
June 25th, 1938 hosting the female Czechoslovakian
Championship)

WW II
Autumn 1938 – The borderline territories are separated from the country including
the two best 18-hole Golf Courses, leaving the Klánovice Course as the centre of the
golf competitions for many years to come
The year 1939 – The first Protectorate Season – Nazi occupation, repressions,
emigration of many important personalities of the Czech Golf scene with yet
uninterrupted sports activities.

Post February 1948 Changes
5 Active Golf Clubs
1) Golf Club Praha
2) Czech Golf Club
3) Líšnice Golf Club
4) Mariánské Lázně Golf Club
5) Golf Club Brno
Era of the Red Shadows
Forced central unification of physical education and sports, including golf, under Sokols
(different from the international Sokol Community) administered by the local “people’s
administrations” thus absorbing the established sport units, clubs and associations;
E.g. the Líšnice Golf Club started operating under the “alias” Sokol Líšnice, and the
Czechoslovakian Golf Association was replaced by the Golf Headquarters of the Czech Sokol
Community.
A new term is coined in golf: “a Golf Unit” to replace the word club, but the enforced
organizational change has not influenced the sport activities yet.

Era of the Merry Darkness
1950s – The Time of the Greatest Threat
Golf becomes a target of liquidation attempts motivated by class division hatred (as it is
believed that there is no room in this new lifestyle for the “aristocratic and bourgeois sport”)
Central Bohemia becomes the battle field for golf survival.

Era of the Merry Darkness
Mariánské Lázně, because of its remoteness to the centre of the political violence, is
spared the blind class hatred that destroys everything deviating from the dictated life
style
The Klánovice Golf Course is being destroyed, but quite paradoxically, an intense
bootstrap restoration of a “new” course, starts in Karlovy Vary, that in the ten years of
idleness almost disappeared under the attack of natural seeding plants.

The way things were done back then...
In 1951, golf was not played in Klánovice any longer.
The following is an example of how an attempt to revive
golfing activities in Klánovice ended.

July 17th, 1952, Addressee: Sokol, Újezd nad Lesy
Re: A Golf Unit liquidation
Újezd nad Lesy, Ref. Nr. 6759/52 II
With regards to your appeal dated June 6, 1952 in which you challenged the Czechoslovakian Sokol
Community’s proceeding concerning your Golf Unit, the State Office in charge of Physical Education and Sports
(SOPRS) hereto declares:
CSO herewith admits that the General Secretary had granted you a permission to fix and use the Klánovice Golf
Course, but wishes to stress that he did so without obtaining prior consent from the elected body that later
expressed a different view of the matter.
The SOPRS’s official standpoint regarding golfing is as follows: We do not consider it purposeful to introduce
and support golf in our country. We do not deny that it might be a very beneficial sport health wise when it
comes to certain age citizens as it requires only slight physical activity performed outdoors, but its qualities when
it comes to the country defence readiness that you so stress, it possesses not. There are many better sports
our youth can practice, without all those bourgeois attributes of golf attached. Golf is nothing but a sport
blindly copying the west ways with its pursuers being such great “sportsmen” that they have to make
their servants carry their clubs – their sports equipment. Despite the fact that golf in our country, if still rarely
cultivated, is rid of these flaws of the bourgeois ways of treating sports as it is mostly practiced by spa town
holidaymakers, the general masses crave it not. If practiced, then for the practicality of it as there are certain
establishments in our spa towns where closing them down would not be practical as no alternative use has been
proposed. Golf as a leisure time filler is quite suitable for those spa town holidaymakers as even the elderly
among them are quite conspicuously made to walk several kilometres that they would otherwise, even if
recommended by their physician, not do. However, we do not in general find it useful as a regular sport and
value a lot higher other healthy sports that we promote, support and strive at assuring their mass
expansion.
For our youth, we recommend all ball games, track and field (athletics), swimming, skiing, gymnastics,
etc., and for those of certain age namely touristic. Also, the Soviet people’s game “gorodky” is very
suitable namely for those of age. Most certainly, there are those even among your members who would
take such liking in it that they would forget golf altogether and never think of it again.
We expect that based on this explanation, you will redirect your most valued passion for sport towards its
different section, stay faithful to pursuing physical readiness and keep helping us make our physical education
bloom. Deputy Minister (on behalf of Rott)..

Time to Pause and Take a Deep Breath
The Beginning of the 60’s – a Speedy Take-off
Physical Education Units (TJs) are still in charge of sports activities in the country
In 1960, Karlovy Vary Golf Course is reopened after a ten-year-long reconstruction that
kept the original order of holes
The same year, the County Committee of the Czechoslovakian Physical Education Union
(ČSTV) in Karlovy Vary publishes a reprint of Golf Rules and Regulations in a format of a
University textbook
In 1962, a pocket book format, published under the patronage of the Golf Management
Board, follows, with added rules for handicap compensations and allowances
The handicap regulations followed the American model based on the best 10 out of the last
25 achieved results during the current or past season, including results with gimme
putts,
both at competitions and non-competition events.
The handicap compensations and allowances were checked throughout the
season at least once a month.
The highest handicap compensation for gentlemen was 36, for ladies 50.
Commencement of the era of organised competitions:
All golfers participating in a competition had to present their Unit Member Cards containing a
valid medical readiness confirmation
Team captains had to submit the team line up to the referee before the start of the event.

Era of High Hopes and Melting of the Ice
Czech golf during the era of the political climate “warming-up”
1965, a first international tournament since 1939, in a form of a stroke
play over 54 holes, is hosted by the Mariánské Lázně Golf Unit and
attended by a very popular Swedish hockey player Sven Tumba, making the
previously neglected sport popular with the public.
The gentlemen category results:
Jiří Dvořák (Slovan Mariánské Lázně)
Jaroslav Dvořák (Slovan Karlovy Vary)
Sven Tumba (Sweden)
239 strokes
240 strokes
255 strokes
Ladies:
Ludmila (Duňa) Křenková (Slavoj Praha)
Hana Brožová (Slovan Karlovy Vary)
Edita Soukalová (Slovan Karlovy Vary)
260 strokes
262 strokes
272 strokes

Golf becoming a member sport of the
Czechoslovakian Physical Education Union
(ČSTV)
1966 recapitulation: 10 active Golf Units, two 18-hole Golf Courses (Mariánské Lázně
and Karlovy Vary), two 9-hole Golf Courses (Líšnice and Bozkov by Semily) and one
golf course under construction (Poděbrady)
The national competition, called the League, played over five rounds in 1967
Brno Golf Unit revived, new Ostrava Golf Unit established and a new golf course being
built in Ostrava/Šilheřovice
1968, Rules for setting handicap compensations and allowances are published by the
Golf Section of the Czechoslovakian Physical Education Union’s General Committee that
confirm the validity of the rules applied in 1962;
1968, Czechoslovakian Golf Union is established.

Czechoslovakian Golf Union
Czechoslovakian Golf Union renewed its membership in the European Golf Association thus
strengthening the international status of Czech Golf and supported national educational activities
Dr. Balcar starts publishing methodological letters based on the golf school of Ben Hogan
Karel Hynek, considered the Czech golfer with the best technique, organises golf seminars and
works with aspiring golfers from the entire country
A Czech Golf umbrella organisation at the State level, on par with the top management echelons of
other sport sections is established:
Miroslav Plodek – President
MUDr. Ivo Balcar - Methodologist
Prokop Sedlák – Secretary
Jan Klement – Treasurer
Hanuš Goldscheider - International Secretary
Václav Soukal - Sports and Technical Committee Director
Jan Šperl - Material Readiness Committee Director
JUDr. Jiří Effmert - Director of the Rules Board
JUDr. František Krčma - Educational and Promotional Agent
Otakar Řezáč and Jaromír Fuchs – Director of the Board for Working with Youth
Josef Punčochář - Director of the Review Board
Miloslav Bouška (Motol), Bohumil Vokoun (Mariánské Lázně) and Ivan Vávra (Líšnice) all receive
the utmost recognition as professional golf trainers.

1970’s
Czechoslovakian Golf Union in the 70’s
The name of the Czechoslovakian Golf Union was changed to
the Czechoslovakian Union of Golf; Michal Polák appointed a
paid Secretary
Milan Moučka joins the Committee as the Director of the
Sports-Technical Section and takes over all affairs connected
with organising national golf events
A new 18-hole course in Šilheřovice by Ostrava joins the
club of the two existing 18-hole West Bohemian courses
Mariánské Lázně Golf Course hosts a European Junior
Championship and undergoes partial changes and extensions
gaining two new holes
Karlovy Vary Golf Course sees changes too – namely new
competition tees at all holes;
The Poděbrady Golf Course construction is finished and in
Semily, a new challenging course is established, located right
at the city border line in the Jizera River Valley and on the
adjacent hill
Líšnice Golf Course is rebuilt in the system of seven non
crossing holes.

Further Growth and New Handicap Rules
New handicap rules came into effect as of January 1, 1970, based on the English way of
calculating handicaps. To set one’s handicap, only results achieved at events organised by
clubs associated in CGU or at foreign Golf Courses playing stroke play tournaments are
considered.
Each club hosting an event must immediately upon its termination notify the clubs whose
members attended the competition about their results; handicaps must be checked and
adjusted after each three competitions.
Golfers were divided into four groups based on their handicaps:
1st group – hcp +2 to -3
2nd group – hcp -4 to -9
3rd group – hcp -10 to -15
4th group – hcp -16 to -24

70’s - Summary
Czechoslovakian Union of Golf in the 70’s – summary
14 active Czech Golf Units:
GC Mariánské Lázně (President MUDr. Karel Horáček)
SK Slavia Praha (Miloslav Plodek)
TJ Slavoj Praha (Eva Vávrová)
TJ Lokomotiva Brno (Ing. Otakar Mikš)
Golf Club Praha (Bohumil Pospíšil)
TJ Konstruktiva Praha (JUDr. Vladislav Průcha)
TJ Slovan Karlovy Vary (MUDr. Dalibor Procházka)
GC Start Karlovy Vary (Bedřich Waldert)
TJ Tatran SZ Praha (MUDr. Jan Klement)
Slávie VŠ Praha
NHKG Ostrava (Ing. Jan Cieslar)
TJ Slovan Poděbrady (Jaroslav Vácha)
Jiskra Kolora Semily
TJ Start Plzeň
TJ Tesla Oldřichovice
TJ Kaučuk Kralupy.

70’s - Summary
Czechoslovakian Union of Golf in the 70’s – summary
1977, a first Slovakian golf unit associated with the TJ Elán Bratislava is established from
the initiative of Miroslav Kaličiak and Juraj Lupsina
CGU manages to import a larger number of Golf Clubs, trolleys and balls with the help
of Foreign Trade Enterprise Pragoexport
From May 11th to 14th, 1970, Mariánské Lázně hosts a follow-up seminar for professional
trainers of golf which is then repeated regularly, developing a number of devoted golf trainers
Tournaments are attended by still more golfers
Importance of driving ranges is acknowledged, but not acted upon as many golf courses use
selected fairways instead
Bohumil Vokoun, a respected golf trainer from Mariánské Lázně passes away and is
devoted a Memorial Tournament.

Golden 80’s
As leggings (spandex pants), salt and pepper jeans, denim
jackets and Chinese version of Converse shoes dominate our
wardrobes, Karsten Solheim gives the world Ping Eye2
clubs
Czech Golf is still on the rise despite the unfavourable
political climate that only changes a little due to the changes in
the geo-political situation in the second half of the 80’s
European Junior Championship is hosted here in 1979; with
exquisite organisation and deemed a great international
success. Though at a domestic level, the budget was
exceeded, which in the planned economy was an unforgivable
mistake, depriving Czech Golf the opportunity to host similar
events for many years to come
The Communist regime labelled golf “a bourgeois sport”
and imposed import embargo on golfing equipment (with the
only exception of CSA pilots who smuggled in not only clubs
and balls, but also magazines)
Imported balls were covered in the Kanagon glue and
tape and if lost, the game was interrupted until the ball was
found
Pine cones were used for practicing.

80’s – Tournaments
In 1982, the Slovak Golf Unit Elán Bratislava starts a tradition of a complex tournament
composed of:
The Bratislava Tournament (2x18 holes) played as a singles competition
The Elán Cup as the competition of pairs (1x18 holes head to head Foursomes). The Elán
Cup winner was crowned the pair with the lowest sum total of the both player’s scores in the
Bratislava Tournament combined with their score in the Elán Cup.
In 1988, 14 tournaments are hosted by the Prague/Motol Golf Course as follows:
The Victory Competition, The May Tournament, Dr. Klement’s Memorial, Intersigma, Prague
Grand Prix, Golf Cup, Air India, Sporttourist Cup, TJ Kuželky Tournament, Míla Plodek’s
Memorial, Čedok Tournament, Konstruktiva Tournament, November 17th and Traditional
Tournament;
In 1989, the first year of the Líšnice Cup is held at the previously isolated Golf Course;
The Victory competition in Karlovy Vary held from May 9 to 10, 1980 - 113 golfers
The Start Grand Prix hosted by Karlovy Vary from May 14tto 15, 1983 - 113 golfers
The international Spa tournament organised in Mariánské Látně, May 27 to 29 - 40 golfers
The M. Plodek’s Memorial hosted by Mariánské Lázně from July 30 to 31 - 173 golfers
In 1987, the Karlovy Vary Karlovarský Porcelain Tournament - 146 golfers
The 1988 Ostrava Šilheřovice Tournament - 78 golfers
Tthe Metasport Cup held in 1988 - 79 golfers
The Konstruktiva Tournament hosted in Motol in 1988 - 58 golfers

80’s – Golf Units and Players
Both the number of golfers and golf units they were registered in grew again throughout
the 80’s.
Golf Units with registered players as of January 1t, 1981 and April 1t, 1987:
Mariánské Lázně 75 (90), Golf Praha 45 (103), Start Karlovy Vary 52 (72), Slovan Karlovy Vary
32 (68), Baník Sokolov 0 (11), Start Plzeň 13 (13), Tatran SZ Praha 26 (32), Slavoj Praha 9
(16), Konstruktiva Praha 17 (20), VŠ Praha 20 (15), Kuželky Praha 0 (8), Tatran Praha I3 (3),
Bohemia Poděbrady 13 (42), Kolora Semily 33 (39), Lokomotiva Brno 16 (46), NHKG Ostrava
63 (116), Tesla Třinec 5 (16), and Elán Bratislava 3(27).
A new Golf Unit associated with the TJ Baník Sokolov is established in an attempt to build a
Golf Course on reclaimed land from surface coal mining, with members mostly recruited
among the former members of the Mariánské Lázně Golf Club, where they returned after the
Unit ceased its existence in the 90’s;
The number of players with handicap grew between the years 1981 and 1987
from 425 to 737 players
The best male players according to their handicaps as of January 1, 1981:
Jiří Dvořák (-1), Jan Kunšta (-1), Pavel Fulín (-1), Jiří Kunšta (-2), Arnošt Kopta (-2), Miroslav
Němec (-2), Miroslav Brtek (-2), Helmut Pszota (-2), Jiří Zavázal (-2), Jaroslav Hanek (-3),
Antonín Kunšta (-4), Václav Pinkas (-4), Jan Zitterbart (-4), Josef Schneberger (-4), Karel
Čechovský (-4), František Kříž (-4), Mikuláš Ordnung (-4), Jan Graca (-4), Jan Juhaniak (-4),
Vladimír Mařík (-4), Jiří Novotný (-4), Jan Schovánek (-4), Jiří Kodeš (-4);
The best female players according to their handicaps as of January 1s, 1981: Amara
Hudcová (-4), Ludmila Křenková (-6), Vlasta Keplová (-7),Hana Chrástková (-8);

Performance ranking in 1988:
80’s – Golf Units and Players
Male golfers: (an average PAR divergence):
Jan Juhaniak 2.66; Petr Mrůzek 3.16; Miroslav Brtek 3.91; Jan Kunšta 4.75; Pavel Fulín 4.83;
Jiří Janda 5.08; Jiří Seifert 5.25; Miroslav Němec 5.41; Jiří Blažek 5.41; Lumír Kainer 5.58; Jiří
Kunšta 5.91; Jiří Kodeš 6.25; Ondřej Trupl 6.41; Jiří Zavázal 6.41; Jan Zitterbart 6.83;
Female golfers: (an average par divergence):
Ludmila Křenková 6.50; Martina Dorníková 9.25; Halina Sztwiertniová 10.91.

80’s – Interesting Faces & International Exposure
In 1989, the Republic Championship in match play held in Mariánské Lázně and attended
by 65 foreign golfers
Alex Krag (Denmark) the Champion with 286 strokes (74+74+68+70)
Marcus Brier (Austria) second with 297 strokes
Thomas Björn (Denmark) third with 302 strokes;
Representation team’s appearance at the European Championship (very seldom also
complemented by appearance of the individuals);
National Championships of the neighbouring countries (on condition that the golfers paid for
the trip themselves).

How Golf grows at Czech Republic