A letter from the Editor – October 2026

Pictured above: Walton Heath – 1981 Ryder Cup venue that now hosts the Prince Arthur Cup

A warm welcome to October’s Coachlines. You will see from the Master’s message that our 350th anniversary year is now well under way, with a host of wonderful events planned to celebrate this historic landmark in our history.

But we have another significant anniversary to celebrate during this year – in May 2027 the Prince Arthur Cup will be 100 years old. 1927 was the year in which Prince Arthur of Connaught – who had held the post of Governor General of South Africa from 1920 to 1924 – was invited to become a guest of the Coachmakers’ Livery Company. He went on to accept the Freedom and Livery of the Company later that year, was subsequently elected Assistant and showed such an interest in the Company that he became Master in 1932.

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught

Prince Arthur was a grandson of Queen Victoria and so his admission in 1927 to the Coachmakers was a great honour and to commemorate the event, the Master Arthur Hungerford Pollen presented the Coachmakers’ Company with the Prince Arthur
Cup – an impressive silver gilt trophy that would be competed for annually by the Livery Companies of London in a foursomes’ golf tournament.

The first tournament was held at Walton Heath Golf Club and for a while after that it moved to St George’s Hill for some years and then to Wentworth. But the event – by now Britain’s largest amateur golf tournament – returned to Walton Heath in 1979 and it has been played there ever since.

From the very beginning the Coachmakers has organised and hosted this highly prestigious inter-Livery golf tournament but despite having won three times in the past, sadly we have not actually lifted the trophy since 1969.

For this centenary year we very much hope to field two, if not three, teams of two players, because what could possibly be more appropriate than a Coachmakers’ team winning during this historic year?

All golfers in the Livery are invited to contact Renter Warden Graeme Hunt, our Captain of Golf, to express their interest in taking part in this wonderful event, playing both Old and New championship courses at the splendid former Ryder Cup venue of Walton Heath. The all-important date is Thursday 20th May 2027.

Prince Arthur Cup