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Ness Castle Golf Club, Inverness. (1890s - 1930s)
The following is from "Golf" Friday 25 May 1894; Ness Castle Golf Course; Nine-holes (private).
Competition played on the Ness Castle course in July 1894.
Inverness Courier Friday 13 July 1894. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Ordnance Survey Map from the 1900s showing Ness Castle and surrounds.
O. S. Map Revised 1902; © Crown Copyright {year of publication 1906}.
Following is an extract from a report from the Inverness Courier dated 16 August 1929 regarding the Ness Castle course.
“The sylvan beauty and charm of the picturesquely situated nine-hole private golf course in the beautiful grounds of Ness Castle, Inverness, have become known to quite a number of local golfers and visitors during the past two months. The privilege of playing over the private course is due to the kindness of the Hon. Mrs Smyth. A small charge is made for playing over the course and already a tidy sum has gone to swell the funds of the Jubilee Nurses’ Bazaar.
The course has quite an interesting history and from the plan (see below) it will be observed that the course is excellently laid out and possesses sporting advantages which are probably not to be found in any other private golf course in Scotland.
The course was laid out some forty years ago when the estate was owned by the late Mr Fountaine Walker. A few of the old time golfers, who used to play over the links many years ago, have vivid recollections of the Ness Castle monthly medals.
The course, it is understood, was laid out by Mr James Paterson, a well-known Civil Engineer, and extends to 1,851 yards. The majority of the holes are short, but require no little skill to negotiate if the par score is to be recorded. There are many “alluring” rabbit holes to trap the careless or unwary. Lining the fairways are clumps of trees, and at some holes there are bracken and heather, which form pretty fringes but require skill to be avoided. Most of the holes can be done in iron play, the longest hole being 351 yards and the shortest 133 yards. The course will be open until the end of the month for those who wish to help a worthy and deserving local institution”
Above is the layout of the Ness Castle Course.
Thanks to Evan Macdonald for the following information and pictures.
This area of land is well known to me but I did not know that it had once been a golf course. The area where the course was laid out has not changed at all over the following century. The area where the course was located though is currently being developed as part of the new Ness Castle housing estate by Barratt. The three main copses shown on the course map (above) are still there today. In fact the largest of the three (by what was the third green) is located just behind the new show houses that have just been completed and the two smaller copses to the south are also being developed into the housing layout.
I have attached two photographs from the Barratt photo library that clearly show the copses and land where the course was.
Looking south over the former course towards Dores.
Looking north towards Inverness. Images. Images courtesy Barratt.