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Fairfield Golf Club, Renfrewshire. (1903 - WW2)

Following article from the Glasgow Evening Times Monday 2 September1907; “The new nine-hole course of the Fairfield golf club situated at Elderslie Polices, Renfrew, was formally opened on Saturday afternoon.

The Fairfield club was started four and a half years ago, and played over the Corporation course at Bellahouston. With a growing membership, the club found its operations interfered with by the large numbers who patronised the Bellahouston course, and felt compelled to look out for links of its own. 

The course is somewhat circumscribed, but is of a fairly sporting character. A large crowd of members and their friends turned out at the opening ceremony. Mr A. Mithchell, Captain of the club, presented Mr A.A. Speirs of Elderslie with a cleek, suitably inscribed, and Mr Speirs drove off the first ball and formally declared the course open.

After tea, a capital programme of songs, recitations, and instrumental selections, varied at intervals by impromptu dancing, was gone through. Simultaneously whist drive parties were conducted in the ante rooms. The feature of the entertainment was the solo and dual dancing of Misses May and Eva Malcolm. The “House Warming” was voted by all the most successful incident in the hitherto successful progress of the club."  

Further report.

Paisley & Renfrew Gazette Saturday 7 September 1907. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Result of the 1910 August Monthly Medal; Class 1 – William Black (12), 79; William G Johnston (scratch), 80; John R Hughes (8), 80; Class 2 – A H Crawford (20), 77; Jas Smillie (15), 83. 

Daily Record Monday 21 November 1910. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Daily Record Friday 2 December 1910. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

The Ordnance Survey Maps below show the Fairfield Golf Course in different locations. Both maps have similar dates. Which is correct?

The map below shows the course either side of the railway line.

O.S. Map Lanarkshire Sheet V.NE; Revised 1909; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1915}.

The map below shows the course to the north of the railway line.

O.S. Map Renfrewshire Sheet V11.SE; Revised 1911; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1914-15}.

Result of the 1912 July Medal; Class 1 – D Cree (11), 77; C Lowden (scratch), 80; William Baxter (6), 80; Class 2 – C A Smith (15), 76; T Cowan (17), 77; D Henderson (18), 77. 

At the annual meeting in March 1916 Captain W foreman presided over a fair attendance. Thomas Black, the vice-captain, was unanimously elected captain. and Mr Miller Watson was elected vice-captain.  

In August 1916 the Pearce Cup was won by James Mackenzie, Ibrox.

The professional in 1922 was Duncan M Barr.

In 1924 the secretary was W Marshall, 3 Sharrocks Street, Ibrox, Glasgow. Fairfield was an 18-hole course with a membership of 450 gents and 190 ladies and juniors. Course records were; Amateur; William Black,??; Professional; George Duncan, 70. The tram fare from Jamaica Street to the course was 3d.

Irvine Herald Friday 18 July 1924. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

From the Paisley Daily Express Friday 12 March 1926 - "Fairfield Golf Club - A satisfactory statement will be summitted to the members at the annual meeting next week. The accounts show a balance on hand of £31/11s/8d after expending a sum of £914/8s/9d in improving and extending the clubhouse. The secretary, Mr W Marshall, does not see re-election, after holding office for over ten years."  

The Fairfield clubhouse on a postcard dated 1928. Image courtesy of Graham Rowley.

From the 1928 Golfer's Handbook; Fairfield Golf Club, Elderslie Policies; Membership; Gents, 470; Ladies and juniors, 191; Secretary - J C McDonald, 89 Ardshiel Road, Glasgow; Green-keeper, J Noon; 18-holes; Course records; Amateur; S McAughey, 69; Professional; George Dunan, 70; Visitors’ fees were 2/- a day, 7/6d a week, 12/6d a fortnight and 21/- a month; No Sunday play.

In December 1930 the licensed premises known as the "Nineteenth Hole," High Street, adjacent to the Fairfield golf course, were broken into, in addition to money, several bottles of whisky were stolen.

Daily Record Saturday 5 September 1931. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Golfer's Handbook 1933; Fairfield Golf Club, Elderslie Policies; Membership; Gents, 470; Ladies and juniors, 191; Secretary - J C McDonald, 89 Ardshiel Road, Glasgow; Green-keeper, J Noon; 18-holes; Course records; Amateur; S McAughey, 69; Professional; G Duncan and M Seymour, 70; Visitors’ fees were 2/- a day, 7/6d a week, 12/6d a fortnight and 21/- a month; No Sunday play.

Result of the 1935 January medal, played over the curtailed course; first class – W Kernohan, 65-8-57; T I McKay, 64-7-57; Jas Thomson, 64-7-57; second class – Daniel Terry, 70-14-56; J Buchanan, 75-15-60; A Lawson, 75-15-60; J Fairhill?, 75-15-60; third class – C Connell, 75-20-55; A Campbell, 81-21-60; D Dent, 86-24-62.

Golfer's Handbook 1933; Fairfield Golf Club, Elderslie Policies; Membership; Gents, 470; Ladies and juniors, 191; Secretary - J C McDonald, 89 Ardshiel Road, Glasgow; Green-keeper, J Noon; 18-holes, SSS 71; Course records; Amateur; S McAughey, 69; Professional; G Duncan and M Seymour, 70; Visitors’ fees were 2/- a day, 7/6d a week, 12/6d a fortnight and 21/- a month; Sunday play from 10 am.

Sunday Mail (Glasgow) 16 January 1938. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Following is the result of the April 1938 monthly medal; scratch – Gordon Sinclair, 74; first class – G Sinclair (5) and Jack Fairfull? (10), tied on 69; A E Hughes (12) and John McGregor snr (12), 71; second class – Duncan Finlayson (13), 69; William Toom (14), David Smith (16) and James Abel (16), 71; third class – James H Donnelly (24), 66; David Clancy (20), 67; Jack Greig (25), 69. 

Result of the competition for the Captain and Vice Captain’s prizes played in June 1938; first class – A Galloway (5), 70; W L Mackay (5), W Kernohan (7) and J C McGrath (10), 73; second class – D C Young (14), 73; David Gow (16), 74; W Thom (14), 75; third class – A Moncrieff (20), 75; J Leonard (20), 77.

Result of a ladies' competition for the secretary's prize, played in July 1938; first class - Mrs J Baillie (17), 67; second class - Miss A Hughes (31), 71. Result of the July monthly medal; scratch – A Steel, 76; W L Mackay, 79; first class – G Harvey (10) and G K Symington (10), 72; K Steel (2), 74; second class – R Douglas (16), 68; D McLean (14), 70; D Smith (16), 73; third class – G Gould (25), 74; D McNeil snr (20), 79.  

Result of the ladies’ monthly medal played in August 1938; first class – Mrs Scott (14) and Miss Scott (17), 77; Mrs Fenton (11), 78; second class – Mrs Ferguson (29), 73; Miss Seye’s prize – first class – Mrs Scott (14), 72; second class – Mrs Ferguson (29), 71. 

Result of the gents’ monthly medal played in August 1938; scratch – C B McInnes, 73; W L Mackay, 76; first class – C B McInnes (3), 70; J M Minigle (11), 71; W L Mackay (4) and J McAllister (6), 72; second class – J Connell (14), 70; D Gow (15), 71; J Donaghy (13), D McLean (13), W Thom (14) and J B Graham (17), 72; third class – R F Scott (21), 69; J H Donnelly (19), 73; J H White (22) and J Lipton (25), 76.

Result of the autumn meeting played in September 1938; first class – D M Neil jnr (10), 70; J Neil (8), 71; J McAlister (6), 72; second class – W Thorn (14) and J M Campbell (18), 71; G Middleton (14), 73; third class – G K Thomson (22), 65; G Gould (25) and J Neill (25), 69. Best scratch – L A Munro, 75. Also played in August a ladies’ foursome, result; Mrs A S Robertson and Mrs Baillie (18½), 76½; Miss Cameron and Mrs G K Symington (18), 79.      

The club was listed in the 1940 and 1947 Golfer's Handbook; The secretary was J McDonald, 89 Ardshiel Road, Glasgow; the green-keeper was still J Noon. 18-holes with a SSS of 71, and a membership of 470 gents and 190 ladies and juniors. Visitors’ fees were now 2/6d a day, the rest as before. Sunday play was allowed after 10am. The station at Kingsinch was ½ mile away. There was also a tram and bus service from Glasgow.

In April 1941 the course and the clubhouse were closed because of enemy action and temporary membership facilities were granted to members by Cathcart Castle Golf Club. 

The club closed in 1942 when the course was taken over by Clyde Navigation Trust for construction of Deanside Transit Depot.

Again the later Ordnance Survey Maps below show the Fairfield Golf Course in different locations. Both maps have similar dates. Which is correct?

The map below shows the course either side of the railway line.

O.S. Map Dunbartonshire Sheet NXXV. NE; Revised 1938; © Crown Copyright {probably published ca. 1948}.

The map below shows the course to the north of the railway line.

O.S. Map Renfrewshire Sheet V111.SE; Revised 1939; © Crown Copyright {year of publication ca. 1948}.