Meet the manager: Wimbledon Common’s Emma Pope

Wimbledon Common Golf Club’s General Manager discusses her club’s unique local rule and huge diversification of membership...

The main thing people may know about Wimbledon Common is that golfers must wear red. How did that rule come about?

In the 19th Century the London Scottish Rifle Section used to train on Wimbledon Common and they wore red jackets. In 1865, when the riflemen started playing golf on the Common, they started the tradition of wearing red tops. When the course was opened to the public it was decreed that red tops should be worn so golfers can be clearly seen by the rest of the people using the Common....