History

The LUGS was established on 4 March 1988 at Luffness in East Lothian when we played our very first match against the SUGS (the Scottish Universities Golfing Society).

An historian might properly ask for documentary evidence to support the claim of a foundation date. Most societies, after all, are able to point to a founders’ meeting or a constitutional document to establish when they came about. For better or worse though, LUGS was never conceived with any degree of formality – that first game came about from a challenge thrown down by the captain of SUGS to an old Purple he was comfortably trouncing on the links of North Berwick. Could London University assemble a side to play against the SUGS on the day before the next Calcutta Cup rugby match?

That challenge created an opportunity to assemble a group of old Purples to play together again. Unlike the SUGS, established back in 1906, London golfers went their own way after college – here was an opportunity not only to play together again, but to do so against likeminded opposition on a fine golf course.

The first game was a great success. The match has been played every year since, with the SUGS hosting at Luffness and Muirfield and LUGS reciprocating at West Hill, Rye, Deal, Hayling Island and, latterly, Sandwich. You can view the results in our archive which dates back to the first match in 1988.

The SUGS also played fixtures against the DUGS (the Dublin University Golfing Society – or Trinity College) and the QUGS (the Queen’s University Golfing Society from Belfast) and encouraged us to do the same. LUGS quickly established a match against the DUGS (which is played on the eve of the England Ireland rugby match) and, latterly, the QUGS. While the opportunity to golf at Baltray, The Island, Portmarnock, County Down and Portrush is second to none, what has counted more in these fixtures is the friendships made with both opponents and fellow LUGS.

The essence of these early games was built on informality. This was all about old Purples getting a chance to meet up in the winter months to play foursomes on fine courses much like the way we had played at university. No real consideration was given to formalising an old Purples’ society.

But over the years of the LUGS games, as younger Purples were introduced, it became apparent that demand for old Purples golf was strong across all generations. And, as the university team has reversed its decline and come back to playing with its former joie de vivre, we now find ourselves with youngsters coming through, keen to continue their association with old friends from London long after coming down.