London Amateur Foursomes & Ladies London Foursomes
Berkshire Golf Club 9th to 11th October 2026
Congratulations to Rochester and Cobhams Parks Nick Panting & Luke Jenkins for winning the 2025 London Amateur Foursomes and to Beaconsfield Golf Clubs Daisy Kennedy and Ella Butteriss for winning the 2025 London Ladies Foursomes
2025 London Amateur Foursomes Results – Click Here
2025 London Ladies Foursomes Results – Click Here
ANNOUNCEMENT – 26th October 2023
I am delighted to announce after some months of discussions, we have formed a London Amateur Foursomes Committee, combining both the London Amateur Foursomes (LAF) and Ladies London Foursomes (LLF) and secure the organisation and smooth running of both events for years to come.
The Berkshire, Walton Heath and Moor Park Golf Clubs have all agreed to host the LAF alongside the LLF, going forward from 2024.
Sue McKeon and Denise Fiori have kindly assisted with the smooth running of the LAF and LLF events over the last few years and along with myself have formed the first London Amateur Foursomes Committee.
The new Committee will organise both tournaments side by side. There will inevitably be some subtle changes to both Terms of Competition, but these will not impact the different catchment areas and number of entries.
Moor Park will be the venue in 2024 for the first of what will be the new association of these two wonderful tournaments, dates confirmed October 10-13. The following year 2025 Walton Heath will host, October 10-12 and in 2026 The Berkshire, October 8-11. Thereafter the tournaments will follow the three year cycle.
In 2025 the first round of the ladies tournament will be held on the Friday and the men’s first and second rounds on the Friday, with the third, fourth, semi-finals and final rounds of both being played together on the Saturday and Sunday.
I would like to thank the LLF Committee and host Clubs in supporting the initiative of hosting two events together and creating a clear pathway for the future success of both events.
Wesley Cooper
Mens Background
The London Amateur Foursomes is a Foursomes Scratch Knockout Competition open to Golf Clubs within a 40 miles radius of Charing Cross (WC2N 6NS). The event comprises of 64 teams, played across 6 knockout rounds over 3 days, Friday to Sunday.
At present the club rotates around three 36 hole members clubs, Moor Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire, Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey and The Berkshire Golf Club in Berkshire.
London Amateur Foursomes History
In 1906 a competition called the London Foursomes was held for golf clubs within 30 miles of London. It was open to amateurs or combinations of amateurs & professionals and Herbert Fowler and James Braid from Walton Heath were beaten by Fry and J H Taylor from Royal Mid-Surrey.
Herbert Fowler, designer, secretary and then Gen. Manager of Walton Heath deplored the tendency towards 4 ball golf which he considered did nothing for golf and at the first opportunity he struck a blow for foursomes golf and declared that the competition would be played annually but by amateur golfers only. So in 1907 the professionals were excluded, “Amateur” was added to the competition title and the event became purely amateur. The limit for entry was extended to 40 miles and the directors of Walton Heath put up a shield for competition which they purchased from Mappin & Webb for £25. And so in 1907 the LAF was born with Bernard Darwin and H Mitchell from Woking being the first winners of the shield, which is probably the biggest, and almost certainly the heaviest, trophy played for in amateur golf.
In 1957, the 50th anniversary of the event, the field was extended to 64 clubs and was played for the first time at a two course club.
Interestingly, the final that year between Walton Heath and Wentworth played on Sunningdale Old Course went the full 18 holes and was reported in Golf Illustrated as follows:
“the final was a fine match, amateur golf at its best – excellent scoring –
2 ¼ hours for the round”
Future players please note !!
Ladies London Foursomes History
The Ladies’ London Foursomes is a prestigious scratch event held in March and over the years some very well known names in ladies’ golf have won the trophy for their club. Any club within a 45 mile radius of Charing Cross Station was eligible to play. Since the setting up of the new committee, the radius has been increased to 55 miles (from 2013).
The first Foursomes was held in 1922 at Chislehurst Golf Club and won by West Hill Golf Club. Unfortunately, no written information can be found as to who started the competition, but looking at the clubs who won over the first few years, they had some very good golfers. The names of Joyce Wethered of Worplesdon and Molly Gourley of Camberley Heath could have been instrumental in the setting up of the event. The second World War caused the Ladies’ London Foursomes to be suspended for nine years – 1940 to 1949. Since then only twice has play been abandoned, in 1968 and in 2013, both due to snow.
Eventually it came under the umbrella of the English Ladies’ Golf Association (ELGA) and was run by the South East Division of ELGA. The South East consisted of ten counties and each county took it in turn to host the event. In 2006 ELGA changed the structure of the association, becoming the English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA), the four divisions became six regions and the ten counties were dispersed into different regions.
In 2009 The Berkshire Golf Club was approached and asked to consider hosting the event. The Secretary, Col. John Hunt was more than accommodating and offered both courses for the first day of match play. We were then able to increase the entries to sixty four from fifty four. We were also offered that golden opportunity of having the Friday for the first day, so that we could have a Sunday final. This, we hoped would enable more business ladies, and even young mums, to take part.
A committee was set up to run the event, and it is hoped that the venue will remain at The Berkshire Golf Club for the foreseeable future.
