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Glasgow Golf Club. (1787 - 1904)

Glasgow Golf Club was founded in 1787. The following quote seems to imply there was a golf course on Glasgow Green in 1765 – “James Watt to Robert Hart in 1813; Glasgow. “I had gone to take a walk on a fine Sabbath afternoon, early in 1765.  I had entered the [Glasgow] green by the gate at the foot of Charlotte Street and had passed the old washing house.  I was thinking upon the engine at that time, and had gone as far as the herd’s house when the idea came into my mind.... I had not walked further than the golf house when the whole thing was arranged in my mind.” 

Glasgow Golf Club played on Glasgow Green from 1787 to 1870. The land that the course once occupied has now been taken over by, amongst other buildings, the Templeton Business Centre and the Peoples Palace; seen today it’s hard to imagine golf ever being played there.

In 1870 the club moved to Queens Park (South Side) then to Alexandra Park in 1872 and Blackhill in 1895 (for location map see Glasgow Blackhill entry).

The club moved to its present location at Killermont in 1904.

Below the result of a competition played by Glasgow Golf Club in May 1824.

 

Glasgow Golf Club. Result of a competition played in May 1824.

From the Caledonian Mercury Thursday 13 May 1824. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Below the newly constituted club play for the first time at South Side Park in March 1870.

 

Glasgow Golf Club. The newly constituted club in March 1870.

From the Glasgow Evening Citizen Saturday 5 March 1870. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Below is the result of a match played on the Alexandra Park on Friday 11 April 1873 against Lanark Golf Club. It was reported that "The day was everything that could be desired, and the ground, looking to the recent condition in which it was, turned out to be in much better order than was expected, The putting grounds were really in good condition."

Glasgow Golf Club   Lanark Golf club   
Rev. J Ritchie 0 John Vasssie 1
G McArthur 0 William Annan 0
Thomas Lamb 10 R Lithgow 0
W Lees  6 John Vasssie, jun. 0
Gordon Smith 2 Richard Vassie 0
H R Coubrough 1 John Haddow 0
D Ferguson 3 James Forrest 0
Dr. Robertson 2 J A Vassie 0
Rev. Dr. Cumming 3 Alex. Paterson 0
William Connochie 0 Robert Frame 2
Archibald Sommerville 1 Simon L Kello 0
  28   3

From Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle on Saturday 4 May 1878. The first summer competition for the Wilson Handicap Monthly Medal took place on Saturday on the links at Alexandra Park. The putting green was very keen, and more than ordinary care was required in handling the balls Fifteen couples started, and at the close the following was the result; Rev D Dickie and Henry Stewart tied for the medal at 86 (with odds), Rev W R Pirrie 88 (with odds), James Laing 89 (scratch), James Melville 90 (with odds), A W Smith 91 (scratch), J R Motion 92 W E Bond 95, Rev C C McDonald, D Dishington, and R Anderson 96, J A Craigie 97, Wm Conochie and Percy Wilson 98, Dr Robertson 99, J Hood 100, J McGregor Robertson 101 (with odds), James Kirk (scratch) and Rev B Robertson and W T Salmon (with odds) 102, Wm Doleman 103 (scratch), T H B Black 107, D Ferguson 111, J Biggam 112, W A Thomson 113 (with odds), Capt Steven, T M Motion, James Moir, High Osborne, J E Stewart and M J Rhind, (no cards). A W Smith finished his second round with a very fine score of 40, as follows; 4,4,5,3,4,4,4,4,3,5 = 40 (10 holes?).  

Below is the result of a match played against King James VI Golf Club on the North Inch in May 1880.

King James VI Golf Club   Glasgow Golf Club  
R H Robertson, jun.  3 W Dolman 0
R Dunsmore 5 A Whitesmith 0
R Keay 0 James Kirk 3
J C Dow 3 James Laing 1
A S Leitch 0 J R Motion 3
H H Greig 1 John Duncan 0
C J Ritchie 2 Percy Wilson 0
J Donaldson 1 T M Motion 7
Capt. Imrie 0 G L Baillie 3
James F Pullar 6 W B Stewart 0
A Jamieson 0 Henry Stewart 3
R M Kippen 3 John Thompson 5
D S Dow 4 T Y Henderson 5
D J Keay 6 Rob Morrison 0
George Kyd 2 Robert Philip 2
  36   32

 

Glasgow Golf Club. The golf course in Alexandra Park on the 1894 O.S map.

Alexandra Park Golf Course, is marked in the centre of the above map. O.S. Map Revised 1894; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1897}.

 

 

Glasgow Golf Club. Club button.

Glasgow Golf Club button.

 

Result of a match played on the Prestwick St Nicholas course against Glasgow on Saturday 16 June 1888. 

Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club   Glasgow Golf Club  
P Wilson 0 D Bone 1
John Andrew 0 W Milne 4
James Andrew 3 J Laing 0
John Hunter 1 R H Ferguson 0
J Ferguson 7 R Turnbull 0
J Mair 0 A Morrison 5
W Norton 0 R Wood 2
Rev J Rae 0 J Storrar 5
J Wallace 0 W E Bond 1
A M Turner 0 D Robertson 2
A Muir 0 Dr Colville 3
J Howat 10 A Neilie 0
M Smith 0 J Hutton 1
A Turnbull 2 J Hood 0
Bailie Wilson 0 D Ferguson 6
R Pyper 0 A Macdonald 1
  23   31

 

Glasgow Golf Club. Entry from The Golfing Annual 1888/89.

 

Glasgow Golf Club. Entry from The Golfing Annual 1888/89.

Above from The Golfing Annual 1888/89.

 

The Spring Meeting was held at Alexandra Park in April 1893. There were 150 entrants playing in the “parched conditions” the greens being particularly trying. Despite this some good scores were returned, notably that of J A Shaw who had a score of 70, a record “medal” score, this included seven threes on his card; result as follows; First Class – J A Shaw, 70 scratch; Andrew Morrison, 73 scratch; W Doleman, 74 scratch; A V Lothian, 79-3-76; M L McAulay, 81-5-76; Dr Ogilvie, 82-6-76; Second Class – Stuart Blackley; 86-10-76; J G McFarlane, 86-10-76; J T Irving, 86-10-76; Dr Dalziel, 84-7-77; J Stobo, 85-8-77; J Martin, 90-11-79; J Raeside, 88-9-79; J French, 90-11-79; Third Class – J M Ronaldson, 81-13-68; T Hamilton, 90-13-77; Thomas Robb, 93-16-77; Dugald Thomson, 93-16-77; W Martin, 95-16-79; P McFarlane, 97-18-79. J A Shaw received the gold medal and the Robertson prize putter for the best scratch score. J M Ronaldson returned the best score on handicap and won the Wilson Medal. The clubhouse was broken into the previous night, the thieves entered by a skylight and were particularly interested in the large jar of whisky that had recently been filled. 

Report on the annual supper and the new course in February 1895.

 

Glasgow Golf Club. Report on the annual supper and the new course in February 1895.

"Golf" Friday 22 February 1895. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

After about twenty years at Alexandra Park the club moved to Blackhill. The course was opened on Saturday 6 April 1895. The course was laid out by members of the links committee; Captain Motion, J T Irving, T S Paterson, A A Guthrie,  J Mack and Dr Dougan. Mr Paterson, the greenkeeper at Alexandra Park, supervised the work of laying out the course at Blackhill. The opening ceremony took place at three o’ clock with Captain J R Motion striking the first ball.

 

Glasgow Golf Club. Course layout at Blackhill in 1895.

Above is a plan of the layout and the yardages at the new Blackhill course in 1895.

 

Result of the Glasgow Golf Club monthly medal played on Saturday 7 May 1898. There were three classes. The best score of the day was made by John Adam, and he was now the holder of the Stewart Cup for the year.

First class.

T M Motion 81 scr 81
D S Sinclair 85 4 81
W Duncan 88 6 82
W Macfarlane jun 78 +4 82
A Macvean 85 1 84
John Boyd 85 scr 85
John Forrest 85 scr 85
John Storrar 89 3 86
D Wallace 89 3 86

Second class.

Allan Russell 87 9 78
Dr J M Thom 90 7 83
David Sinclair 94 9 85
John McGregor 97 12 85
Frank Bell 95 8 87
John Risk 98 9 89

Third class

John Adam 87 14 73
A Lauder jun 98 15 83
G P Stevenson 99 13 86
R Meldrum 106 18 88
R McMillan 102 13 89
H Kinnear 103 13 90

On Saturday 5 May 1900 in a mixture of sunshine, wind and showers the Glasgow Golf Club held their spring meeting at Blackhill. The prizes were; the club medal and Robertson’s prize putter (scratch); Wilson yearly medal and captain’s prize (handicap); and the monthly medals for first, second and third class. The first couple went off at 9.30 with the last pair teeing off at 4.30, the 85 two-balls that competed was the highest number that had taken part at Blackhill. The course was in good order but the weather conditions prevented low scoring, results below.

Club Medal and Robertson Prize Putter (scratch).

T W Robb 79 D Rentoul 86
George Hutcheon 79 James Blair 86
Robert Bone 81 J T Irving 86
Mark Black 81 C B Macfarlane 87
Archibald McVean 81 Rev Adam Shaw 88
W Macfarlane 83 William Neilson 89
James Ross 84 W H Cairns 89
J R Motion 84 W Scott 89
A Russell 84 Dr Dougan 89
John Forrest 85 J R Brownlie 89
John Stobo 85 R M McKelvie 89
W H Thomson 85    

Wilson Medal (first class).

Allan Russell 84 5 79 R McKelvie 89 5 84
Mark Black 81 scr 81 James R Motion 84 +1 85
Archibald McVean 81 scr 81 D Rentoul 85 scr 85
John Stobo 85 2 83 R Steel 90 5 85
James Blair 86 3 83 Robert Bone  81 +5 86
Dr Dougan 89 6 83 J H Forrest 90 4 86
J R Brownlie 89 6 83 D Young 90 3 87
T W Robb 79 +5 84 A Neilie 91 4 87
George Hutcheon 79 +5 84 John Beveridge 91 4 87
James Ross 84 scr 84 Angus McLeod 92 5 87
J T Irving 86 2 84 Dr Thom 92 5 87

Duff Medal (second class).

W R Cairns 89 7 82 W D Hall 97 10 87
W Neilsen 89 7 82 R Brown 98 11 87
J M McAuslan 92 8 84 James N Prentice 98 10 88
Samuel Runcie 93 8 85 P R Robertson 96 7 89
A Calderhead 94 9 85 G F Stevenson 100 11 89
Andrew Brown 98 12 86        

Scott Medal (third class).

Dr McLaren 92 14 78 W Law 93 13 80
Hugh McCallum 94 16 78 J G Gordon 102 18 84
James A Ferrier 93 13 80        

Wilson Yearly Medal and Captain's Prize; D McLaren, 92-14-78; Hugh McCallum, 94-16-78; Allan Russell, 84+5-79.

The Google Map below shows the location of the former course in Alexandra Park (see above 1894 Ordnance Survey Map), the current course of the Alexandra Park Golf Club can be seen to the east.