Ruchill Golf Club, Maryhill, Glasgow.(1928

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Ruchill Golf Club, Maryhill, Glasgow. (1928 - 2019)

Founded in 1928.

The Hilton Park Golf Club, Glasgow, was formed in 1928 and was the amalgamation of two clubs, the Glasgow North Western Golf Club, one of the oldest in Glasgow and the Bankhead Golf Club. The courses of both of these clubs were acquired by Glasgow Corporation for housing schemes.

When the North Western club moved to Hilton Park the corporation laid out a nine-hole course on what land remained after houses had been built. This new club was called Ruchill Golf Club.

The Scotsman Thursday 17 May 1928. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

In January 1929 it was announced that a pavilion was to be erected on the Ruchill course.

The Ruchill Golf Club is listed in the Golfer’s Handbook in the 1930/40/50s as a nine-hole course. The cost of a round of golf was; 4d in the 1930/40s; 6d in the 1950s; 1shilling in the earl 1960 and 1s/6d in the later 1960s.

Result of the August 1931 monthly medal; First Class - J McLeod (5) 72; G Mackay (7) 77; A McGibbon (12) 78; Second Class - E McCready (16) 75; W H Smith (14) 76; A Barbour (18) 79; R McGinlay (18) 79; R Tumelty (21) 79.

Result of the June 1936 monthly medal; First Class - A Reid (4) 33; S Gillick (5) 33; D McKenzie (4) 34; W Weir (6) 34; R McGinlay (6) 35; Second Class - F Bushe (11) 28; P McKay (8) 31; N White (8) 32; W D Abercrombie (11) 33; J Brand (11) 33.

Golfer’s Handbook, 1970s; Rushill Public Course, Brassey Street; professional, W Lyle; 9-holes, 2,208 yards, SSS 62; Fees, 10p.

Golfer’s Handbook 1982 and 1988; Membership 60; secretary, D F Campbell;9-holes, 2,240 yards, SSS 31; fees, 60p weekdays, £1 weekend (1982); 90p, £1.50 (1988).

In 2004 the professional was G Taggart; 18-holes, 5,836 yards, SSS 68.

Interesting to note that the course on the 1930s map below is marked North Western Golf Course.

Ordnance Survey Map. © Crown Copyright {1933}

The following is from Glasgow Life - “The course was reopened by Colin Montgomerie in September 2009, after a long campaign by local golfers. The course opened for play in April 2010 with a newly built clubhouse. The course has also undergone a complete renovation and it now has USGA tees and greens. The signature hole is the par three fifth hole which runs alongside the canal. Ruchill offers a good challenge as well as a fantastic place for people to learn the game.”

Alan McPherson is playing all of Scotland’s golf courses to raise funds for Cancer Research. Alan played the Ruchill course in March 2012 and is blog entry can be seen on the link below.

https://scottishgolfcourses-allofthem.blogspot.com/search?q=ruchill

The Ruchill course closed in October 2019.

Scorecard and hole profiles.

The above picture shows the course prior to closure.

Thanks to Dr. Douglas Lockhart who visited the site on 18 October 2019 and took the pictures of the clubhouse and course below.

Above images; Clubhouse; first hole; third hole; fourth hole; seventh hole; ninth hole.

Thanks to Dr. Douglas Lockhart who paid a further visit on 22 November 2019 and took the pictures below of the former course. He also made the following comment “The approach to the clubhouse must be the bleakest and most depressing of any golf course in Scotland. Litter strewn streets; poorly maintained grassy areas etc.

The golf course too has been under maintained for some time - evidence of drains never cleared out and the wet fairways have probably never been verti-drained. Grassy banks have not been properly cut for a long time and paths between holes are either non-existent or totally neglected.”