The course history
Stockholm’s Golf Club was founded in 1904, coincidentally this is the same year as the Swedish Golf Federation was founded. The club is Scandinavia’s third oldest Golf Club with Copenhagen Golf Club founded in 1898 and Gothenburg Golf Club founded in 1902 being the older siblings in the Scandinavian golf family.
One of the many founding members of the club was Edvard Sager who built a private golf course already in the 1880s at Ryfors in Västergötland. Other enthusiasts included Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, who later became King Gustav VI Adolf, and was the club’s chairman for 10 years. His son, Prince Bertil, was throughout his life one of the club’s most diligent players.
Stockholms Golfklubb started organizing championship competitions very early on and already in the 1910s and 1920s held both international and Swedish championships which led to a great deal of success for players from the club. Since then, Stockholms Golfklubb has nurtured many talented players and organized many championships. Championship events of note include EM Girls 2000 and Matchplay -SM 2005.
The Kevinge course
The Kevinge course is the club’s fifth home, and it is also the fifth 18-hole course ever built in Sweden. Stockholms Golfklubb built Sweden’s first 18-hole course in 1926-1927 at Sticklinge, which is the site of Lidingö Golfklubb today.
Stockholms Golfklubb chose to leave Lidingö for various reasons one of which was due to uncertainty in the land issues and the introduction of the steel shaft in 1929, which meant that the Lidingö course was judged to be too short.
In 1930, 60 ha of land with outbuildings were acquired from Kevinge farm. The old barn was rebuilt and furnished to become our beautiful clubhouse and still is today. A limited shares company was formed for the acquisition and construction, in which the club owned only some of the shares. The other shareholders were highly involved in the club. There are many obvious similarities with how modern golf projects are financed.
After acquiring this beautiful piece of land, a huge effort was put into developing it to create a course of the highest quality. No fewer than 10 proposals were drawn up and rejected before an agreement was finally reached.
The firm behind the design of the proposal that was eventually built was the famous architectural firm H.Colt, C.H.Alison and J.S.F. Morrison. There are features of Harry Colt’s famous design of Swinley Forrest outside London also featured on the Kevinge course. The design was also most certainly influenced by Stockholm’s golf club’s driving force for several decades, Rafael Sundblom.
The British features of the course are still obvious, especially around the green areas and in the placement and design of bunkers. Of the original bunkers, of which there were many more, some have been removed and new ones added.
While playing on the Kevinge the optimal course management is characterized to a great extent by the strategy in each stroke and planning for the next.
At the inauguration on 7th October 1932, the 1st tee was on the current 18th green and part of the current 17th green was the 1st green. The 2nd hole was played just above the wall below the 17th (1st) green to the present 16th.
This course layout was changed after a few years and stayed the same up until the 60s and is the layout that is painted on the wall in the clubhouse lobby today.
In the most recent rearrangement of the course layout in 2007, the old 1st tee returned, and the hole is now played as No. 17. The 18th hole is now played from the place where the 2nd tee was originally located. The green remains in the same place below the clubhouse but is re-laid and redesigned.
The community around Kevinge
Over the years, the growth of society has left its mark on Stockholms Golfklubb and Kevinge. In the 50s, Mörby hill, Kopparhusen and Kevingeringen were built on land that was included in the club’s original purchase from Kevinge farm.
The development of Mörby Centre also contributed. The big change, however, took place in the mid-60s when the municipality, in connection with the change right-hand traffic, needed land to rearrange the traffic situation around Mörby Centre. Then the old 6th, 7th and parts of the 8th holes disappeared.
This also led to extensive construction and then the current 9th, 10th and 11th holes were added. The 8th got a new tee and the 13th a new green. The club then also installed Sweden’s first automatic irrigation system. The work was led by Nils Sköld, who was the club’s course manager for many years. He was also the designer and leader of almost all the course projects that emerged during the 60s and 70s. He completed more than 70 projects. His apprentice at the time was the now well-known course architect Peter Nordwall, who was a member of the Stockholm Golf Club for more than 30 years and involved in the clubs board and course committee.
A Swedish course with a British touch
When creating the new holes, they managed above all to preserve the old British feel of the 9th, 10th and 11th. The thing that particularly characterizes Kevinge, apart from the British background, is the variety of the holes.
The thing people remember most are the six short holes, which are considered by many to be the best in Sweden. The 3rd and 15th holes, both par 4’s, are in the same class with the latter’s green areas considered to be outstanding.
Unfortunately, the course area was further reduced in the early 90s when the 5th hole was rebuilt into a short par 4 hole. We are hopeful that this was the last time we need to encroach on the golf course and culturally historic land.
These days the golf course is not that long but still the course record on the current layout is not more than 6 under par. The old layout had a course record of 9 under par.
To live up to the requirements of a full-fledged golf course, you cannot rely on just the lay-out, and Kevinge has also become known for its high quality.
Maintenance and supervision of the course has been characterized by much voluntary involvement and committed staff. Our first greenkeeper was George Maywood, who helped build the course and loved it so much that he remained in the club’s service until 1938. The club has always been far ahead in terms of machinery and had, for example, Sweden’s first triple mower in the early 70s. Our committed employees and long-term maintenance plans have further developed the maintenance, which guarantees continued high quality on our course and the preservation of the cultural heritage.
Famous players who visited Stockholms Golfklubb over the years:
- Prince of Wales 1932, winner of Autumn Medal at St Andrews 1929
- Henry Cotton 1933 (3 major wins)
- Alf Padgham 1946 (1 major win)
- Sam King 1946 (3 Ryder cups)
- Dai Rees 1952 (course record 65), 9 Ryder Cups, 43 tour wins, 3 The Open runner-up
- Bobby Locke 1953, hit course record 65, (4 major wins)
- Jean Macalister Donald 1956
- Bob Toski 1960 (World Champion 1954)
- Gene Sarazen 1962, 69 strokes (7 major wins)
- Patty Berg 1963 (15 major wins)
- Peter Allis, June 9, 1963 during Alliansgolfen (8 Ryder Cup, 23 tour wins)
- Arnold Palmer 1972, 70 strokes (10 major wins)
- Sam Snead 1974, 68 (-3) strokes at age 60 (7 major wins)
- Christy O’Connor Sr, year unknown, early 70’s, played with Sune Werkell.
- Severiano Ballesteros 1980 (5 major wins)
- Liselotte Neuman 1992 (1 major)
- Helen Alfredsson 1992 (1 major)
- SGK member Jarmo Sandelin played in the 1999 Ryder Cup, five wins on the European Tour
- Many of the European Tour’s top players in 2009 at Jarmo Sandelin’s invitational competition, e.g. Alex Norén, Per-Ulrik Johansson to name a few Swedish names
Many contemporary great players, for example Linn Grant and the club’s own players with international merit, for example Pontus Widegren and Per Jacobsson. - Swedish top players from the past: G A Bielke, Erik Runfelt, Hans Hedjersson, and the club’s own great players Britt Mattson, Claes Jöhncke, Elis and Arne Werkell, Edwin ”Ted” Roberts, Sune Malmström, Harry Fakt and others.
