Earlier this month, member of the OM Golfing Society headed to London to attend the Halford Hewitt Centenary Dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel. In total 798 golf enthusiasts, representing 64 independent schools, attended this prestigious event.
The Halford Hewitt is one of Britain’s most competitive golf tournaments, but did you know, the Hewitt was set up by Old Malvernian Gustav ‘Susie’ Mellin (3.1987-1902)? Susie was an outstanding sportsman who, after leaving Malvern in 1902, gained a place at Clare College, Cambridge, where he achieved a blue in both football and golf, captaining the university football team in 1905, the same year as he gained a golf blue. In 1920 he reached the semi-final of the Amateur Championship, held at the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield – the year Cyril Tolley famously beat American Robert Gardener at the 37th. Two years later Susie was selected to play for England against Scotland.
However, it is as a golf administrator Susie is best remembered. In 1922 he founded the Old Malvernian Golfing Society (MGSC), and the following year was elected Secretary and Treasurer of the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society or ’The Society’ – positions he held until 1939 when he was elected Captain of ‘The Society’ and remained their Captain throughout the war years until hostilities ceased in 1945.
There is a degree of debate surrounding how the Halford Hewitt started but, according to the great golf writer and TV commentator, Henry Longhurst, it was dreamt up during a lunch which Susie had with John Beck at The Addington Club in Surrey in 1923. Both were determined to instigate an inter Public Schools golf tournament along similar lines to the existing football tournament, the Arthur Dunn Cup. According to Longhurst, Mellin and Beck had decided on the tournament details and were wondering which “bloody fool” they could inveigle into putting up a trophy when, quite by chance, Halford Hewitt walked into the room and was promptly pounced on.
Jeremy Lowe (9.54-59), Treasurer of the MCGS, gives a little more detail to the story:
In 1922, the fledgling Old Malvernian Golfing Society arranged a match against the Old Carthusian Golfing Society (founded in 1908) at Stoke Poges Golf Club. Bernard Drew (Charterhouse) was Club Captain and Hugh Alison (2.1896-1901) was Club Secretary. The top pairing was Susie with Gerry Canny versus Charles (Chubby) Hooman and Halford Hewitt (Charterhouse) who played in the inaugural Walker Cup and then again in 1923.
Without doubt, the idea of holding a Public School’s golf tournament involving mainly Arthur Dunn Cup schools, must have been aired during the game as it had bought together, probably intentionally, all those involved in the founding of the Hewitt. Furthermore, Halford Hewitt and Susie were both undergraduates at Clare College, Cambridge, and good friends. It is said Susie’s most important contribution, essential at the time, was as a driving force once the decision was taken to stage the Halford Hewitt.
The following year an announcement was made about holding a school’s golf competition. At the time Halford Hewitt was President of the Old Carthusian Golfing Society and as the Society was by now well established, had enough confidence to organise the inaugural competition. Hal was elected President of the Public School’s Golfing Society and Susie made Honorary Secretary. Hal remained President until his death in 1949, following which Susie, who had been Secretary from the start of the Hewitt, was elected President.
It was agreed that each school would invite a team of ten to play five foursome scratch matches, each over 36 holes on a knock-out basis, at a course agreed between the opposing teams, with the final to be held at The Addington. Teams from Malvern, Charterhouse, Eton, Harrow, Highgate, Mill Hill, Rugby, The Leys, and Winchester entered the inaugural tournament. Unfortunately, Malvern were beaten by Eton in the semi-final. There were naturally a few teething problems, particularly with team organisers having difficulty finding an agreeable date to play!
At the first AGM, Susie took charge, and it was agreed the tournament would be played over a long Spring weekend and reduced to 18 holes match-play. Fortunately, Hewitt was a Member of Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, and this was ideal for staging the tournament. It has been the home of the Halford Hewitt ever since.
Susie set about ensuring the success of the Hewitt and encouraged teams to enter year on year; 11 teams entered the inaugural tournament in 1924 although Beaumont and Radley failed to raise a team. In 1949 56 teams entered, with schools on the waiting list. The following year Royal St George’s were invited to jointly host the tournament and by 1958 a maximum 64 teams entered, splitting 32 teams to play at each of the Clubs for the first two rounds with the last four staged at Royal Cinque Ports. In 1968 Beaumont merged with Stonyhurst and Glenalmond were invited to replace them – since then there have been no other schools invited to join.
Susie Mellin and Halford Hewitt founded the world’s greatest of all truly amateur team scratch tournaments – they should be looking down with great pride and satisfaction that the Hewitt brings so much joy and camaraderie to so many every Spring, by playing in one of the games most convivial of social gatherings. The Halford Hewitt Centenary Dinner was the perfect occasion to salute them.
A Malvern team has reached the semi-finals of the Hewitt on 13 occasions, and the final a further 11 times but regrettably only two successes to date (2006 and 2019). The Old Malvernian Golfing Society is flourishing and now over 300 members; new members are always welcome. The annual subscription is £25. The Society plays 15 matches a year against other School Societies and Golf Clubs and the main meetings are:
Spring – St George’s Hill
Summer – Blackwell, Northern – Formby
Autumn – Royal Cinque Ports
Simon Hooper (1.93-98), the Hon Secretary, may be contacted at [email protected] for further information.
Photo (left – right): William Beeson (2.86-88), Clive Edginton (3.64-69), Jeremy Lowe (9.54-59), Ian Timberlake (6.83-88, OMGS 2024 Captain), Tim Duerr (1.80-85), Peter Mathieson (5.52-57, he founded the dinner 52 years ago!), Peter Thompson, Will Gifford (1.98-03), Dan Walker (1.91-96), Philip Worthington (St George’s Hill GC General Manager), Bruce Streather (8.59-64), Adrian Coleman (2.76-81), Adrian Barrett-Greene (SH.76-81)