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Inverness Golf Club. (1883 - 1899)
The Inverness Golf Club was founded in 1883.
The first game was played at the Muir of Ord on Saturday 17 November 1883.
From the Inverness Courier Tuesday 27 October 1885. "New Golf Course at Culcabock - On Saturday the members of the Inverness Golf Club opened their new course at Culcabock. The weather was bright and dry, and the members had a very pleasant game."
The need for more land to extend the course at Culcabock was proving difficult and at a meeting in October 1892 it was decided to make a move to a course at Longman, this course was opened in April 1893. The Longman course was abandoned in 1899.
Entry from the Golfing Annual 1888/89.
The opening of the Inverness Golf Club, Longman Course, in April 1893.
With reference to the above picture. I would like to thank Evan Macdonald for his following findings. "Within the centenary booklet that Inverness Golf Club produced in 1983 it states that the Longman course was opened on 15 April 1893, and a clubhouse at the Longman was opened on 16th March 1895. However, "the end of this year [1895] also saw a clubhouse built and formally opened at Culcabock." The booklet contains a much poorer reproduction of the Am Baile picture labelled "Opening of first Clubhouse Culcabock 1895". So it looks as though by the end of 1895 they had two clubhouses, one at the Longman and one at Culcabock. The booklet later refers to "expenditure on the clubhouses at Culcabock and the Longman". The club later acquired more land at Culcabock, building a new clubhouse there in 1908 to replace the clubhouse which had existed for only 13 years.
Therefore the Am Baile photo (above) states it is the opening of the 'Longman' clubhouse in 1895 is also included in the Inverness Golf Club centenary booklet but states it is the opening of the 'Culcabock' clubhouse in 1895. There is therefore some confusion which of the two clubhouses built in 1895 it may be and unfortunately there does not appear to be any other photographs in existence. What we do now know though is that the Longman (Culcabock) course was opened on Saturday 15 April 1893 and the Longman clubhouse opened on Saturday 16th March 1895."
There was a fair attendance for the AGM held at the Caledonian Hotel on Friday 4 March 1892, Sheriff Blair presided. There were 113 paying members of the club, 105 of which had paid subscriptions amounting to £16/10s/0d. After expenses there was a satisfactory balance in hand of £4/1s/1d. Lord Lovat was elected a patron of the club and Mr Fountaine Walker and Provost Ross were re-appointed patrons. Mr Finlay MP, was re-elected president and Sheriff Blair vice-president. Captain Machardy.
Following is the result of the Culcabock Medal played on Saturday 16 April 1892; A F Steele, 83 scratch; F Maciver, 91-6-85; D Mackintosh, 98-12-86; L Macrae, 87 scratch; J Farquharson, 96-12-88; J Birnie, 89 scratch; J Macfarlane, 105-15-90; D Macpherson, 106-15-91; A Machardy, 92 scratch; W Gunn, 99-4-95. It was reported that “the royal and ancient game has taken hold in the Highland capital, as in other places. The membership of the Inverness club, and the enthusiasm of the players, have continued increasing so steadily that the small course at Culcabock, which was amply sufficient a year or two ago, was found to be too limited on Saturday to accommodate all the players who turned out”
The Inverness Golf Club played a competition on the Muir of Ord in July 1892 for a prize (a binocular) given by Mr J L Child, brewer.
Below is the result of a match played against Moray at Lossiemouth on Wednesday 7 September 1892.
| Moray Golf Club | Inverness Golf Club | ||
| J Macisaac | 1 | J Birnie | 0 |
| W Christie | 0 | D Young | 7 |
| J S Urquhart | 0 | A Lobban | 11 |
| J W Gibb | 1 | A Machardy | 0 |
| Colonel Underwood | 0 | A Birnie | 1 |
| F Davie | 0 | L Macrae | 5 |
| A Macdonald | 0 | J Sutherland | 3 |
| G H Gordon | 0 | W Laing | 10 |
| Captain Swan | 0 | J Mackenzie | 9 |
| W J B Macdonald | 1 | F Maciver | 0 |
| D Matheson | 0 | P H Smart | 4 |
| J Adams | 0 | A John | 2 |
| John Cowie | 2 | D Mactavish | 0 |
| J Falconer | 10 | J Guild jnr | 0 |
| A L Hay | 0 | D Macpherson | 5 |
| Mr Sime | 1 | P Park | 0 |
| 16 | 57 |
From the Oban Times Saturday 15 June 1894; Inverness; Nine-holes, sporting and good.
It wasn’t long before more land became available at Culcabock and the club decided to return to the site in 1895.
The Longman Course is abandoned in 1898/9.
Inverness Courier Tuesday 29 November 1898. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Highland News Saturday 3 June 1899. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.