Edinburgh Insurance and Banking Golf Club, Duddingston Course. (1895 - WW1)

Founded in 1895 by members of the financial sector, the Insurance & Banking Golf Club continued until WW1 and was the forerunner to the Duddingston club.

Report on the proposed club in December 1894.

 

 

 

Hole measurements March 1895.

 

 

From the Dundee Advertiser Monday 29 April 1895; "OPENING OF A NEW GREEN NEAR EDINBURGH - The new golf course recently laid out by the Insurance and Banking at Easter Duddingston, adjacent to Queen's Park, was formally opened on Saturday by Mr Turnbull Smith, the President of the club. The course at present extends to over three miles, and, for an inland one, is calculated to thoroughly test a golfer's abilities. The membership already numbers over 500, and there are 100 applications yet for admission. Mrs Smith drove off the first ball in presence of a large company of ladies and gentlemen, and thereafter a number of foursomes were entered upon." 

The Insurance and Banking Golf Club clubhouse in June 1895.

 

 

 

In 1897 Cooper & Taylor, architects, were employed to re-design the extended clubhouse. The extension can be made out by the darker lines on the plan, the cost was about £1,500.

The match below was played on the occasion  of the formal opening of the extended clubhouse at Duddingston. 

 

 

In June 1898 The Insurance & Banking Club held its summer meeting for the Mc Neill Jubilee Cup. Result was a tie between C A Maitland and J Bremner with scores of 83. The handicap winner was M C Videon 84 – 6 – 78.

 

 

The above plan shows the revised course for the winter. Five new greens had been laid and some approaches had been altered. If the alterations proved popular they were to be made permanent. 

The AGM was held on the 13 July 1904 in Dowell’s Rooms with Captain T Hector Smith, manager National Bank in the chair. The following office bearers were elected; Captain, Mr A Hewat, Edinburgh Life Assurance Company; vice-captain, Mr John Nicholson, manager, Clydesdale Bank, George Street; secretary Mr W J Munro, Life Association, 82 Princes Street; treasurer, Mr D G Thomson, British Linen Company Bank; auditor, Mr R S Wyllie, North British and Mercantile Insurance Company; committee, R M M Rodick, Century Insurance Company; M M Lees, Scottish Equitable Life Office; J C Hill, Constitution Street, Leith; C K Wharton Duff, North British and Mercantile Insurance Company.

Ordnance Survey Map from the 1900s showing the golf course.

 

 

The following is from the 1905 Nisbet's Golf Yearbook; Insurance and Banking Golf Club; Instituted 1895; Membership of 600; Hon. Secretary - William J Munro, 82 Princes Street, Edinburgh; Captain - Archibald Hewat; Greenkeeper - Geo Herkes; Entrance fees for Insurance & Banking Candidates £3/3s, others £5/5s. Subs, £1/10s; Eighteen-holes; Amateur course record - J B Matheson, 73 (in club competition), J C Rose, 68; Terms for visitors - Members may introduce two visitors a week - if introduced after 4pm 1s. Temporary members admitted under certain conditions, 1s a day, £1/1s per annum.   

Report on the sixteenth annual meeting held in April 1911.

 

 

 

In September 1915 it was reported that the club would be giving up the fourteenth and sixteenth holes. The War Office required the land for military training purposes.  

It was reported in January 1918 that Lieutenant H R Sturrock, who had been wounded for a second time, represented the Edinburgh Insurance and Banking Golf Club, when that combination won the Edinburgh inter-club foursome tournament in 1908 and 1910.