What , no response to "the gate" sixteenth at North Berwick West being the finest Biarritz green?
I have been waiting for someone to say that it is not a real Biarritz because it is not a par three or some other lame reason. Fact is is this is the original "Biarritz" of them all! Tom Dunn grew up playing the golf course at North Berwick West and was well acquainted with the "gate" 16th green as a youth. He modified the green at North Berwick and created a template which he further used in Biarritz, France.
Quod erat demonstrandum....
The Dunn's were more than a family business
By Douglas Seaton
North Berwick Factfile
WILLIE DUNN SNR. was born in Musselburgh in 1821 and along with his twin brother Jamie, played in many challenge matches between 1840-1860. Willie Dunn Snr. apprenticed under the Gourlay family, and was keeper of the green at Blackheath until 1864 when he returned to the Thistle Golf Club at Leith Links. Willie worked as a club and ball maker from his house at Primrose Cottage, Lochend, Leith. In 1867 the Thistle Club leased No.8 Vanburgh Place as their clubhouse where Willie Dunn resided with his workshop situated behind in Vanburgh Place Lane.
Dunn had two sons Thomas who apprenticed as a club maker under his father at Musselburgh and Willie Dunn Jnr. who trained under his older brother from the age of thirteen. Tom Dunn started his professional career at North Berwick in 1869. The following year he moved to Wimbledon and later joined his father at Leith Links where they lived and worked at No.7 Vanburgh Place. Willie Dunn Snr remained at Leith Links for ten years before settling at North Berwick. He died at Millhill, Inveresk in 1878 at the age of 59 years.
Tom Dunn married Isabella Gourlay and they moved to Royal Wimbledon Golf Club living in Windmill Cottage where John Duncan Dunn (1872), William Gourlay Dunn (1874) and Isabella May Gourlay Dunn (1880) were born. Tom Dunn employed two men as club makers and his 17 year old brother Willie Dunn was his apprentice. Tom Dunn and his family returned to North Berwick in 1882 where Norah Eleanor Dunn (1886) and Seymour Dunn (1882) were born.
According to his birth certificate Seymour was born on the West Links, and as the only building on the golf course was his father's club makers workshop we can only assume he was born in the timber building beside the first tee. Dunn purchased the property at Dunedin Lodge, 60 Forth Street in May 1883 and his children attended North Berwick Public School until the age of twelve when John and Seymour were sent to Clydesdale College in Hamilton to continue their private education. John studied up to the age of 15 years with a view to becoming a doctor and sat the entrance examine for Edinburgh University.
In 'The Golf Book of East Lothian' published in 1896, Rev.John Kerr wrote. 'When Thomas Dunn entered on his duties in November 1881, he found the green very much cut up with iron marks and holes all over the place, and the putting-greens and teeing grounds in very bad order. Having got a sum of between two and three hundred pounds raised by subscription, he set to work with a gang of men to get things put right, and by next season the condition of the course was the admiration of all who played over it.' It was at this time Tom Dunn extended the 16th green with its unique deep swale bisecting the middle.
Tom was diagnosed with blood poisoning and advised to recuperate in the South of France while his son John looked after the business in North Berwick. In the winter of 1887 Tom Dunn joined his brother Willie at Biarritz Golf Club in France where they laid out the Le Phare course. He used the three level layout on the 16th at North Berwick on several greens at Biarritz and the design is now called a 'Biarritz Green'.
Tom Dunn was employed by the West Links Green Committee as Keeper Of The Green and by the North Berwick New Club as their Clubmaster. When the members complained that he was not carrying out his duties in the clubhouse and this was followed by Dunn's request to have his house completely redecorated, this was the last straw and his employment as Clubmaster was terminated in September 1886. He received ten pounds to soften the blow and continued to be employed by the Green Committee as Keeper of The Green.
Seymour's instruction methods were used by the top pro's including Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Jim Barnes.
On a Saturday morning Tom Dunn stood at the first tee where he would dispose of two big sacks of remade 'six pennies' to trainloads of golfing youth out for a day from Edinburgh. The timber club makers workshop on the West Links, North Berwick was taken down in 1887 and a new building designed by Tom Dunn erected. It had a workshop and a large ajoining room with lockers for rent which Tantallon Golf Club used for their meetings. This building remains as the present professional's shop beside the first tee.
In 1889, Dunn left for France without informing the Greens Committee and his employment was terminated by letter. On 8th November 1889 Tom Dunn replied.