Brian
Pretty sure we nailed Caird as a Colt. FBD is the man to confirm.
Adrian
Had a look last night at The Carnoustie Story by Donald Ford (ex-pro footballer with Hearts and now a photographer) who is a local boy.He's clearly done a fair bit of research and this is what he has to say about the various courses. (edit - the book is an excellent read if you can get ahold of it)
Championship Course
1840 - Allan Robertson lays out first formal course that comprises 10 holes using double greens in the St Andrews fashion.
1872 - Old Tom called in to consult and he substantially redesigns course to 18 holes (4,565 yds)
1884 - 1895 - Robert Simpson taken on as greenkeeper in 1884 and quits c.1895 (not sure about this date, this is from memory) and during his tenure he makes various modifications (not specified)
1894 - Old Tom brought back to "stiffen up" Championship Course. No detail as to what was done but in 1897 the course measured 6,082 yds)
1926 - James Braid brought in and he substantially redesigns the course taking in new ground (Stutt did the work)
1930 - following Scottish (?) Championship played over the course, James Wright, Captain of the Dalhousie Club that has stewardship of the course at that time, persuades his Committee that the finish is too soft and needs toughened up. Consequently the last 4 holes were totally redesigned. The suggestion is that Wright came up with the changes and that what we play now is what he designed.
1930-1936 - from my own research Wright writes to Aberdeen Journal in response to reported criticism from Tom Simpson on Carnoustie's suitability to stage the Open, and suggests that Simpson hasn't looked at Carnoustie recently so is in no position to judge and that c.60 bunkers have been closed up since 1930. This is possibly a reaction to Braids bunkering scheme and suggests he was a bit heavy handed in dishing out the sand (as he was at Troon when preparing it for the Open in 1923). Interestingly the website of the Tom Simpson Society has it that Simpson redesigned 6th and 13th at least and that Simpson mentioned this in correspondence to Captain of Liphook in 1959.
1985 - 200? - John Philp taken on as head greenkeeper with task of getting course back up to scratch with view to holding the Open. Following the 1999 Open myself and a group of fellow gca students were given a tour of the links by Philps and it was clear that quite a few changes had been made, some of them aesthetic but not always. Changes like mounding round the back of 1st and 3rd greens, raising approach to 15th and putting in mounding to surrounds to create almost a punchbowl type green. He also brought the burn up the right of the 6th into play more and put mounding on the far side of it to try and force players to go down Hogan's alley. Subsequent to that visit and prior to the next Open at Carnoustie that Harrington won, the 3rd fairway got the dunification treatment. There may have been other changes but I can't recall. It may well be that there was some committee/R&A sponsored architect behind some or all of these changes but I wouldn't bet on it. John Philps struck me as a man with strong views on what he wanted and he by several accounts he was given a fairly free hand to achieve it.
Comments on the Burnside and Buddon to follow.
Niall