The History of Golf in Bohemia

Written by Ivo Reichelt. Based on the book The History of Golf  by Prokop Sedlák.

  The beginning of golf in our country is inherently connected with Štiřín and above all with the Ringhoffer family. At that time, golf activities in Bohemia were promoted by three principal groups of enthusiasts.

  The first – and from the beginning of the 20^th century until WWII also the most prominent – was the family of Baron František Ringhoffer. Attracted to the sport as a very young man, he not only participated in the establishment of the old golf course in Carlsbad but opened his own simple natural golf course on its own land, near the village of Volešovice, before WWI broke out. Thanks to his extensive social contacts, he was also able to promote golf among his acquaintances.

  The second – also connected with Baron Ringhoffer – was the Golf Club Prague. The third was a group of friends trying to play golf in the meadows near Stránčice (later associated in the Golf Club Líšnice).

  In 1932 the aforementioned groups united and established the very first Golf Association of the Czechoslovak Republic, with Baron František Ringhoffer becoming its first and long-term president. 

  The golf course in Volešovice was built by the Ringhoffers during the pre-war agony of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At first having just 3 holes, it was later expanded to 9 holes played from two directions. This means that the course effectively had 18 different holes. It was operated by the Ringhoffer Golf Club Volešovice. Thanks to their constant playing, the Ringhoffers soon became excellent players, inviting a whole range of guests to join in. One year, they even had their own English golf instructor.

  František Ringhoffer designed and directly supervised the building of a golf course in Motol and later become the captain of its team. He also participated in the establishment of a golf course in Klánovice. The first nationwide tournament – the Švestka Golf Cup, the predecessor of the Championship of the Czechoslovak Republic – took place in Motol in October 1929. František Ringhoffer Jr. finished second, scoring 186 (36 holes) and achieving the second longest drive. In 1931, women golf players were given their own Ringhoffer Cup.

  The August issue of Tennis-Golf Revue of 1928 featured an article describing the atmosphere in Volešovice as follows: “The well-known golf pioneer of Czech golf, Mr. František Ringhoffer, owns a private golf course in Volešovice near Kamenice, right next to his summer residence. It offers 18 holes in interesting combinations, with some tees placed rather untraditionally on the slope above the access road, an arrangement offering some interesting opportunities. In spite of this year’s dry weather, the green is in excellent condition and it is clear that its owner is a real enthusiast.” Although hosting many open tournaments in later years, Ringhoffer’s Volešovice course nevertheless always managed to preserve its exclusively private character.

  On Sunday, 1 June 1930, František Ringhoffer Jr. became the No. 1 Czech golf player after winning the first Amateur National Championship of Czechoslovakia and the Challenge Cup of President T. G. Masaryk. The participants played 36 holes, with the winner accomplishing 175 hits, a distinguished result even by today’s standards. This triumph confirmed his previous excellent results and heralded his future achievements. František Ringhoffer Jr. remained one of the best golf players in Bohemia throughout the 1930s. Another member of the family to establish himself as an excellent golf player was his uncle, the old baron’s brother, Felix Ringhoffer. The fact that František Ringhoffer Jr. could successfully compete even on an international level was confirmed when he and Saša Schubert won the first Central European Golf Cup.

  In 1934, Baron František Ringhoffer, having just celebrated his 60^th birthday, was elected president of the Golf Club Prague, definitely becoming the most influential personality of our pre-war golf.

  On 4 June 1937, after many years of success and pioneering, the Ringhoffers suffered a severe blow. František Ringhoffer Jr., one of the best Czech golf players, an enthusiastic sportsman and a great man, suddenly died.   

  In July 1938, František Ringhoffer, as the president of the Golf Association of the Czechoslovak Republic, hosted the board of directors of the European Golf Association. However, the tragic events of that autumn, the world war that followed and the years of the communist regime destroyed almost everything the Ringhoffers had built.