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Dunkeld & Birnam Golf Club, Perthshire. (1892 - WW1)

The club was founded in 1892.

Following is an extract from a report that appeared in the Dundee Courier on Monday 30 May 1892 headlined; Opening of a new Golf Course at Birnam - "On Saturday the new golf course at Birnam was formally opened. There was a large contingent of gentlemen from Inverness, Dalhousie and Forfar clubs. Mr Tom Morris, St Andrews, under whose supervision the course was put in order, was also present. At eleven o’clock Miss Lawson performed the ceremony of opening the course by playing the first ball amid the cheers from the spectators. In the afternoon there was a competition for two fine stags’ heads, one for scratch and one for handicap players. At the close it was found that Tom Morris had won the scratch with a score of 45, while the other was carried off by Captain Lawrence with a score of 62-6-56. The individual score for Tom Morris was; 5,5,8,5,5,5,4,3,5 = 45. Mr Brodie scored 47 and Chief Constable Mc Hardy 54. Other handicap scores; Mr Younger, 69-2-67; Col Finch Noyes, 79-9-70; General Peile, 85-9-76; Lieut Peile, 85-9-76." 

To confirm the location of the first course, in his book Golf in Perth and Perthshire, published in 1899, Peter Baxter says that “There is a nine-hole course at the foot of Birnam Hill.”

The following interesting report appeared in the Dundee Courier on Friday 1 July 1904 headlined; "New Golf Course For Birnam - The announcement that a new golf course is to be laid out for the convenience of the people of Birnam and Dunkeld and the visitors to the district will be received with much satisfaction. About four or five years ago an effort was made to have a golf course laid out on the Atholl estate adjoining Burnam and Dunkeld. This project, although energetically entered into, fell through. The question has, however, lately been revived, and Mrs Cesari of the Birnham Hotel has generously offered the Terrace Park, which is situated on the banks of the River Tay. The park is well adapted to golf and the grounds extend to some sixty acres. Public action has been taken and a club has been formed, the members of which have leased the ground for four years. They have arranged that the whole of the course, which is to extend to nine-holes, will be feed from rough grass within the next fortnight, and it will be gratifying to know that Willie Park, the famous Musselburgh golfer, has been engaged to lay out the new course."

On Thursday 30 March 1905 the committee and members of the Birnam club took on players from the neighbouring Ballinluig & Logierait and Pitlochry clubs in a friendly match. Alick Murray of the Pitlochry club broke the course record scoring 41 for nine-holes and eighteen-holes in 87. Result of the match below.

There was a large crowd in attendance for the long awaited opening of the club pavilion which took place on the afternoon of Thursday 3 September 1908. The new pavilion was opened by Mr W T J Steuart Fothringham, the laird of Murthly from whom the club had secured a lease of the course. Mr R Allan, Bank of Scotland, the president, officiated at the opening. In his speech Mr Fothringham wished the club well and hoped that membership to the club would increase. Mr Fothringham and Lord Dunedin of Stenton played in the opening game followed by members and visitors.

The annual meeting of the Dunkeld and Birnam club was held at the Institute, Birnham, on Thursday 14 April 1910,Mr McGillewie was in the chair. Office bearers were elected as follows; Presidents – W S Fothringham of Murthly and Patrick Blair  of St May’s Towers; captain – R McGillewie; secretary and treasurer John Purdie B.A; ladies’ secretary – Miss H Ellis; committee – James Stewart, F A Peacock, John Bird, Fred W Ellis, George Stewart and James Robertson.

Result of a match played against Pitlochry at Birnam in September 1910.

A large gathering assembled on the Birnam Golf Course on Saturday 19 August 1916 attending the annual sports of The Scottish Horse Brigade.

The course was required for the war effort during WW1. Following the war the course was reverted to farmland and the club moved to its current location in 1922.

The Google Map below pinpoints the Birnam Hotel, location of the second course.