1920 – The Admiralty buys the land of Cruicks.

 
In 1912, the Club had signed up to a new 19 year sub-lease of Crooks Estate from Alexander Milne, (with the Tilbury Contracting and Dredging Company as the main tenants) to run from the expiry of the current lease in 1912. So they expected it to last until 1931.

However, this sub-lease included a termination clause. In the event that the owners sold the land, the club as sub-tenant would be entitled to two years notice, and the refund of one year’s rent.

In 1919, the Admiralty began negotiations for the purchase of Crooks Estate from Thomas Milne. Thomas was the trustee of Alexander Will, Adam’s oldest son. Alexander had died in 1900. The Will family business was inherited by Thomas, who had married Adam’s eldest daughter Louisa.

The Admiralty offered the Club a new eleven-year lease to run from 1920 (i.e. until 1931, the expiry of the original 19-year lease.)

Among the various conditions imposed by this new lease, the most ominous for the future of the club was paragraph 7.

In summary, this gave the Admiralty the power to resume the whole or part of the land for their own purposes with one month’s notice, and to extend the workings of the quarry to encroach on the golf course.

In recompense, the club would receive a reduction in rent if the quarry workings caused the loss of a hole, and the repayment of one year’s rent of the course had to be abandoned.

The new lease was eventually signed on 21st May 1921, having taken effect from May 1920.

It was clear that the pace of work at the quarry was quickening, so in 1921, the Club sought new land as a safeguard.