Sports & Recreation Facilities
Standon and Puckeridge Football Club
Standon and Puckeridge Football Club was found circa 1930 and the football pitch was then located where Saffron Meadow is today.
After the Second World War it moved to the King George VI recreation field. For many years there were two teams, the First Team and a Reserve Team and these comprised young men from the Parish. Today there is only one team.
Standon and Puckeridge Tennis Club
Standon and Puckeridge Tennis Club is a small village club founded in 1951 and located opposite the Doctor's surgery and next to the Community Centre.
It is a small thriving club, always looking for new members of all ages and in particular families. Facilities include three newly surfaced carpet covered floodlit courts giving year round play. There are several levels of membership from Junior to Senior including Family, Off Peak and Senior Citizen.
For competitive players there are both Men's and Ladies teams in the Hertfordshire League plus Village League for Ladies and Mixed. During the winter teams enter the Winter Mixed League; the Village league, both Ladies and Mixed; and they have two Ladies Vets teams. Club tournaments are run at the end of June/ beginning of July culminating in a Finals Day and Club BBQ.
Standon and Puckeridge Bowls Club
The Bowls Club was founded in early 1951, with the first match played on the green on 7th of July 1951 against Allenbury's.
At a meeting held on the 14th of August 1951 it was proposed by S. Smith and seconded by C. Brown "that ladies be accepted as members of the Club". The same meeting also discussed laying the "footings" for the new pavilion. A little over a year after the club was formed, on the 12th of August 1952, the club consisted of just 22 full members and 5 half members.
It was decided on the 3rd of March 1953 that the club be affiliated to the Herts Amateur Bowls Association. In 1954 it became affiliated with the Hertfordshire Bowls Association and the East Hertfordshire Bowling Association.
East Herts Golf Club, Hamels Park
Lime Kiln Farm, Ware was bought by Albert Sandeman of "Port" fame who with Basil Richardson founded East Herts Golf Club which was opened on 9 November 1899. The formal opening was by Arthur Balfour MP for Hertford (1874-85) and later Prime Minister (1902-06).
The original course, which more or less corresponds to the Chadwell Springs course, was designed by J H Taylor who won The Open 5 times! The second 9 holes and redesign of the course was started in 1920 by James Braid – who also won The Open 5 times!
In October 1922, the clubhouse burnt down to the ground, along with all the records, clubs and lockers. The Club was offered the freehold of the course in 1925 by Mr Sandeman but, following the fire, the members were unable to raise the money.
Herbert Garrett bought the land in 1929 and in 1949 offered the course and buildings to the Club – but again the price of £9,500 proved difficult. However, East Herts continued as leaseholders at Chadwell Springs until 1971.
The course was designed by a committee consisting of John Bennett, Jack Watts and Club Professional David Lewis. The work was overseen by the above members and many volunteers who are still leading lights within the Club.
No-one can play East Herts Golf Club without enjoying the splendour of Hamels Mansion. Hamels Park was mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The original Mansion was built in 1580 and the mansion as seen today rebuilt in 1834. It has subsequently been magnificently refurbished by Hubert C Leach and Co and was used as their headquarters until 2015.