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Stockbridge Golf Club, Edinburgh. (1885 - WW2)

Founded in 1885 the club initially played its golf on a course over the “Stockbridge Public Park” this area has now been built over (see Google Map below).

The club moved after a short time and played on a course at Inverleith Park. As can be seen below the club played many of its competitions over “away” courses.

It was reported in the Edinburgh Evening News on Tuesday 9th June 1885 that a petition was sent to the Parks Committee from the Stockbridge Golf Club asking permission to play golf in Stockbridge Park from six to eight o’clock in the morning.

The half yearly competition for the Stockbridge Golf Club was held on the Musselburgh links in October 1885. Result as follows; W Waugh, 96-6-90; R Johnston, 99-6-93; R Smith, 112-18-94; R Robinson, 93+4-97; J C Johnston, 97 scratch.

The members of the club played the monthly medal over 20 holes at Burntisland in February 1886, result; W G Munro, 105-14-91; J Cochrane, 115-18-97; J R Watson, 107-10-97; Magnus Henderson, 116-18-98.

The half yearly competiton was played at Mussselburgh on Saturday 22nd May 1886, result; J R Watson, 98-10-88; J C Johnston, 92-3-89; W G Munro, 101-10-91.

The autumn prize competition was held at Musselburgh in October 1886, result; R Johnston, 96-7-89; R Robinson, 89 scratch; W G Munro jnr, 96-3-93; J Sullivan, 100-7-93; J Cowper, 100-6-94; J Easton, 103-7-96; C Skinner, 103-7-96; A Colville, 113-16-97; J C Johnston, 99+1-100; A Maxton, 114-13-101; R Smith, 119-18-101.

 

Stockbridge Golf Club, Edinburgh. Entry from the 188/89 Golfing Annual.

Entry from the Golfing Annual 1888/89.

 

H M Wallace, secretary of the Stockbridge Golf Club, wrote the following letter to the Edinburgh Evening News in March 1893. “My attention has been called to the letter in yesterday’s issue from the anonymous correspondent describing himself as a “Golfer.” For the public information, allow me state the footing on which golf is played on Inverleith Park. The Stockbridge club applied for and obtained leave from the Town Council to play golf in the mornings up to 8 am. The club pays the whole expenses connected with the upkeep of the greens for the game i.e., they lay down and prepare the holes for play, provide the flags, and pay for their being taken out and in every morning. No private right whatever to the green is claimed by the club; all they ask is that gofers using the green observe the etiquette of the game. Some players have used the green for years, contributing nothing towards its upkeep, and insisting on doing as they please. Some of these players start at any hole they fancy, playing through the green without observing the regular course, and, when informed where the first teeing ground is, or what is the proper course, tell their informant to mind his own business. The club after laying out the green is surely entitled to ask players to comply with the ordinary rules of the game, as played on every other green, without which obviously the game is impossible. That is all they ask. They invite anyone using the green to contribute towards its upkeep if they do not desire to become members. Each individual will respond to that invitation as best suits his ideas of what is both honourable and just.”

The club played its spring meeting at Monifieth on Monday 16th April 1894. Nearly 30 members took part, none of the players had played at Monifieth before. The Anderson scratch medal was won by E A Rhead with a score of 86. The Wallace handicap silver medal finished in a tie between W Mackenzie, 94-5-89, and George B Howell, 98-9-89. Other winners were; P Seton, 89+3-92; A M Johnston, 102-10-92; J Keddie, 114-22-92; J P Seaton, 101-8-93; A Wilson, 91+3-94; J Cowper, 99-5-94; C Hoffman, 117-22-95; R Drummond, 102-7-95; A Breck, 105-8-97; J C Johnston, 96+2-98; J P Benham, 101-3-98.

The Stockbridge club played their autumn meeting at Carnoustie in September 1899.

The June competition in 1902 was played over the Ferryhills course, result; T A Kennedy, 76+2-78; C L Purves, 107-29-78; Alex Turnbull; 90-8-82.

Stockbridge Golf Club held a smoking concert at the Imperial Hotel in November 1906. Amongst those present were; William Cook, P Seton, J Cowper and M Hendeson (who became members when the club started 21 years ago) also John Doherty, the present capatain. Councillor Dr Robertson, honorary president, occupied the chair and gave an account of the early struggles of the club. The club had done much to encourage golf on the north side of the town. The club trophies were won by; H W Ramage, C McGill, John McGibbon and John and Tom Aitken.

The first competition of the new season for the Stockbridge Golf Club was played in Inverleith Park in April 1913; Winner, Charles King, runner-up, G H Drummond; scratch gold medal, G H Drummond; first class handicap medal, Charles King; second class medal, Peter Thomson.

The exact closure date of the original Stockbridge Golf Club is still to be found. 

A pitch and putt course was laid out in Inverleith Park in the latter part of the twentieth century but this has now disappeared and been replaced with a rugby pitch.

 

Stockbridge Golf Club, Edinburgh. Location of Stockbridge Public Park.

The Stockbridge Public Park is marked in the centre of the above map. The road to the north east is Raeburn Place. Reproduced from the {1876) Ordnance Survey Map.

 

The Google Map below shows the area once occupied by Stockbridge Public Park.