A tribute to Old Tom Morris is now posted

[Ran Morrissett]

The first email I received from Melvyn Hunter Morrow started as follows:

“Am enjoying your Discussion Group and think GolfClubatlas.com is great. I am the great-great grandson of Old Tom Morris.     I am not an architect or course designer. Nor am I keen on long courses; there is just no need for them, Big is not always beautiful. I agreed with Alfie Ward on controlling technology and not letting it control us. I wish to see golf return to its original concept and stop this madness of constantly needing to increase the length of a course. This year is the Centenary of Old Tom’s death (24th May) and I am trying to Celebrate his life this year by trying to promote his courses and encourage more people to visit our Islands. To play at some of our small 9 hole courses can be just as challenging as 18."

On he went, eloquently making his case for a return to the simpler times for the great game of golf, a subject near and dear to many of us.

Captivated by his perspective, and appreciating all the research he has done, I asked Melvyn what he could
share with us. His article entitled The Early Golf Designers: The Real Golden Age is now found under in My Opinion and Architecture Timeline under Old Tom Morris.

Towards the end, he notes, “I would love to run a test/competition with say, 6 architects, giving them half a day to lay out a 9 hole course on rough, virgin, links land, and then have a team of judges play it in the afternoon. It would, I believe, test them to the core – also be an interesting exercise for golf course architecture. Do you think any would be up to the challenge – with only pegs & wheelbarrows and of course on a ‘sunny afternoon’?”

What an interesting idea (!) and the mind can’t help but wonder how today's modern architects would react to such a task. Some would absolutely relish it, charging into the field to find the most interesting natural features. Perhaps others might struggle, especially working solo....

Cheers,

[Mark Bourgeois]

You could call it "Iron Designer."

[Dan King]

Thank you Mr. Morrow for a wonderful tribute to your ancestor. I met either your mother or grandmother once at St. Andrews and she was a lovely lady.

When I (mistakingly) thought we were suppose to dress as our favorite designer at King's Putter I, I naturally went as Old Tom. While I haven't played nearly as many of his courses as others, I was always fascinated by his work, and how economically he could perform it.

But even more than a course designer, Old Tom was a great ambassador for golf when the game really needed such a person. We've had a few since then -- whenever I've talked to Sandy Tatum I get a very Old Tom vibe -- but Old Tom was the model. I remember reading about an early Ladies Championship that was played at St. Andrews for the first time. Some were upset about a Ladies Championship played at the Old Course. Old Tom was out there (in his final decade) welcoming ever competitor to the event. I'll have to look for the story later today.

Cheers,
Grandan King

Faith sir, she looks like the Old Course.
 --Tom Morris (looking through a nineteenth century telescope at the surface of the moon)

[Melvyn Morrow]

Ran

Thank you for your kind words  

Mark

Sorry you have lost me, don’t understand  

Dan

Re the Lady or woman you met, was it pre 1999? did she have red hair? was she standing (but looking 80% dead)?
If answer No, then it was not my step grandmother.  

You may have met my second cousin, who is very unlike my dead step grandmother.  

[Norbert P]

 Within Mr. Morrow's Opinion piece is a terrific link to the  Askernish GC website, with a streaming video with commentary of the course and kind words about Old Tom. It also answered a question I'd had about machair turf.  

"To view an early example of a links site all one needs to do is look at the video on www.askernishgolfclub.com  "

  Anyway, I think this land, undisturbed on the most part, gives us a window into history of what Old Tom might have seen in his travels, during golf course design infancy.

  Melvyn, thanks for jumping into GCA.com with both feet. A terrific piece.  I'm also interested in the closings of the golf courses that you listed: is land still available for those courses for revival, like Askernish, or are those sites grown over with developement?

Say hi to Alfie.


 

[Mark Bourgeois]

Melvyn,

Getting lost is the best path to truth, grasshopper!  Click on this sentence for the answer to your question.

Kasanegasane,
Sensei

[Peter Pallotta]

Very nicely put, Slag -- a window into history. My thanks too, Melvyn.

Peter

PS - Dan, thanks much for the quote from Tom Morris. Amazing how 8 words can capture (or seem to capture) the essence of the man.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Slag,

 The closed courses of Old Tom (that I have found to date)

 1   Crawford, Alfie Ward will be able to give you more info
      on  this course
 2   Collieston course – name not known, believe I may have
      found the location of this 9 hole course, just south of
      Collieston near Bennet’s Love cove. Have not figured out  
      how to attach photos to this post. Need confirmation
      first and site visit to establish if it would be possible to
      re-open, expect not as ex-army site
 3   Hanger Hill  Lost forever now under homes in West London
 4   Killearn 9 hole not see the site so can’t comment.
 5   Lord Leitrim private 9 hole course, may be possible but
      need site inspection.
 6   Luffness Golf Club, believe gone and may have now been
      totally covered.
 7   Port Errol  I believe that the railway station for the
      original Cruden Bay Hotel was built over the original
      course in 1899, Port Errol course may have lasted for
      4 years, but Cruden Bay still have a special 60 member
      club within itself called Port Errol G C.
  8  St Leonards G C – tried to get some interest in reopening
      this course, but the feeling from St Andrews seemed
      against it. May just be possible to find something?
9    Uisguintuie G C – Islay not Machrie G C was Old Tom’s
      course on Islay, however been advised that the course
      has now been ploughed over for some 50 years. The site
      of this course was on the western shore of Lochindaal
      between Bridgend and Bruichladdich. 18 hole  4646 yards
     (1 = 176, 2 = 236, 3 = 270, 4 = 220, 5 = 225,  6 = 301,
      7 = 233, 8 = 324, 9 = 420.  10 = 407, 11 = 335,
      12 = 240, 13 = 313, 14 = 258, 15 = 154, 16 = 159,  
      17 = 231, & 18 = 144yds).

Dan

Regards courses for Ladies, Old Tom made a small course on the ground starting just passed his Golf Shop over land now occupied by the Rusacks Hotel  and the other buildings running to the Swilken Burn. I have not mentioned this course on my list as I am still seeking additional information.
 

[Bill_McBride]

Being confused by Mark is par for the course, Melvyn, no need to worry!  

[Tony_Muldoon]

Melvyn great stuff passion and research brings out thebest in GCA.
I was amazed to read there was once a  course on Hanger Hill.  This area is now famous to everyone in England as the course was but yards from one of todays greatest traffic blackspots in "the hanger lane gyratory system".  However the hill is particularly well known to me. As a schooboy in the 1970's fitness training for Rugby consisted of repeated runs up that cursed incline.

Googling I find.

"There are two golf clubs at Ealing—the Ealing Golf Club, instituted in 1898, situated at North Ealing in the Brent valley, near Perivale; and the Hanger Hill Golf Club, instituted in 1900, the links of which are on the southern slope of the high ground above the town.



The course of the Hanger Hill Club also consists of eighteen holes, varying from 105 to 500 yds. The club-house is a fine old mansion situated on Hanger Hill.


From: 'Sport, ancient and modern: Golf', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 2: General; Ashford,  East Bedfont with Hatton, Feltham, Hampton with Hampton Wick, Hanworth, Laleham, Littleton (1911), pp. 278-283. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22195. Date accessed: 29 January 2008.




 In 1874, the house was leased by Sir Edward Montague Nelson, Chairman of Ealing Local
Board, who became the borough’s first mayor in 1901. Between 1901 and 1930 Hanger Hill
House was the headquarters of the Hanger Hill Golf Club but, following Nelson’s death in 1926,
the freeholder, Colonel Wood, sold the estate to Haymills Limited. Building work started in
1928, but the golf club continued until 1930. Much of the estate was completed before the start
of the 1939-45 war, including Audley Road, Corringway, Beaufort Road, Ashbourne Close,
Beaufort Close, East Close, Heathcroft and Rotherwick Hill. Other roads started prior to the war
but finished after 1945 including Ashbourne Road, Chatsworth Road, Dallas Road, Heath Close
and The Ridings.
37 The Ridings was built on the fifth tee of the old golf course.

George Duncan was the pro there for a time (upto 1924) and of course he won the Open at Deal in 1920.

[Mike_Cirba]

Melvyn,

Thanks so much for your interest in GolfClubAtlas and for providing us with such an interesting, educational essay.  

Golf really should be a very simple game, I agree, and your writing and passion captured the essence of it.

[RSLivingston_III]

6  Luffness Golf Club, believe gone and may have now been totally covered.

Reading the Kilspindie club history, they list Luffness (founded in 1867) as having been on the north side of Peffer Burn and moved to Kilspindie to form a new club there in 1897. Apparently Luffness was having some "troubles" in their original location. Kilspindie GC does have sketches of how the original Luffness Links were laid out.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Slag

I am glad you enjoyed Askernish. The work Ralph Thompson and his team are undertaking will bring pure joy to all REAL golfers. May even open the eyes of some who seem to relish in over complicating their designs. Golf is a pleasure and challange, or what ever you want to call it, but a walk in a park, boy, have some of the designers over the years taken their eye off the ball.  

I fear that we are starting to loose our way. I do not want a manicured garden as a golf course, nor do I want buggy trails or motorways beside the fairways. I am for buggies if it helps and aids those who would otherwise find it difficult to play golf, but a course with multi-story parking for Buggies - sorry to me that is just not acceptable and not golf as we know it eh, Old Tom?    

Ralph

Luffness G C was partly on the land owned by a Mr Hope and common land in 1867. A lease was agreed with Mr Hope and the Luffness Club was formed. Old Tom a close friends of Hope, visited and designed the course several times, however by 1892 the course had been overuses and was in bad need of repair. Hope & Old Tom advised the committee to alternate play to allow repairs to be made. Frustrated by lack of action Hope decided to have a new course designed on his land at Saltcoats, which Old Tom designed and was built over the winter of 1892/3.In 1894 a large group of Luffness members agreed a lease with Hope and the New Luffness Golf Club was born. Mr Hope gave notice to what was left of the Luffness Golf Club to find a new site, which they did approx. 4 years later. Lord Wemyss granted permission to use his land and a course was designed by Ben Sayers in 1898/9. At this time the old Luffness members voted to call themselves Kilspindle Golf Club. I have contacted Kilspindle Club re their early record for a connection with Old Tom and they have advised that Old Tom had no design contact with Kilspindle. The majority of this is information is available from the National Library of Scotland
My understanding is that the old course no longer exists and has gone.  
 

[Andrew Mitchell]

Melvyn

Many thanks for an excellent article.  My knowledge of the vast extent of Old Tom's contribution to the development of golf courses, and the game of golf itself has certainly increased significantly since you joined our group!

I live in Baildon so noted with special interest your reference to Bradford and Baildon GC, and the fact that the course has now moved.  My understanding is that Bradford Golf Club moved in 1899 to a new site a few miles away at Hawksworth, but Baildon GC was left behind playing over the course OTM had laid out.  Do you have any different information?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Andrew

Started Bradford & Baildon G C  then Bradford moved leaving your club Baildon on the course designed by Old Tom.

Fellow member is Peter Crabtree. Peter with his book may have more info that perhaps I do.

[Andrew Mitchell]

Melvyn
That has confirmed my understanding that Baildon is an OTM original.  I've no idea to what extent the course has been altered over the years.

I'm not actually a member there although I have played the course on numerous occasions, and still play there two or three times a year.

[Alfie]

Melvyn,

A wonderful contribution to a wonderful website!  

Your knowledge of Old Tom shines through, although it has to be said that you are a family member after all  

Slag,
Hi yersel, old mate !

Tony said ; "However the hill is particularly well known to me. As a schooboy in the 1970's fitness training for Rugby consisted of repeated runs up that cursed incline."

Aye, in the sixties, maybe ?
You're a minefield of information too !

Alfie.

[Alfie]

re - the Crawford course that Melvyn listed earlier.

This was an inland course laid out by Old Tom, accompanied by the Rev Christopher McKune, the local meenister and golf fanatic ! Many on here, who have either travelled north or south on the M74 in Scotland will have passed straight through the centre of the old course - which lies virtually intact (albeit well overgrown) on the hillside ! Information is quite sparse, but it's existence is totally undervalued in the history of Scottish golf IMO.

Alfie.