Those into history may like to see the original site of Anstruthers golf club’s 5 Holes course set against the position of the current including the article showing the formation of the club, its first small course moving to the site of the current location but limited to 9 Holes.
The Clubs History reads as follows
During the latter part of the nineteenth century golfers from Anstruther & Pittenweem played on a small strip of grassland adjoining the Dreel Burn near East Grangemuir farm to the north of Pittenweem. This was the 5 hole course of the East Fife Golf Club. It was recorded at that time that the Anstruther members considered this course to be too far away and there was not a proper road leading to it from the east. An alternative site for golf was identified by the seashore at the Billowness, Anstruther Wester and on 3 November 1890 a meeting to discuss the formation of Anstruther Golf Club was held in Anstruther Wester Town Hall. A committee was formed and annual subscriptions were fixed at: - Gentlemen ‘5 Shillings’, Ladies – ‘Half a Crown’ & Apprentices – ‘Half a Crown’.
The course at the Billowness opened on Wednesday 8 April 1891 when the first competition – The Robertson Challenge Medal was played. Originally there were 7 holes starting from below the cave and playing up over Flagstaff Hill however only 2 years later the ground which is now the 1st and 9th fairways was leased and the course was increased to 9 holes. In 1896 Old Tom Morris advised the club to acquire more land at the Hynd (now St Adrians Place) as in his opinion this “would add to the attraction of the course and bring many golfers to the area”. Google Earth photo of the town of Anstruthers in the top right and Pittenween to the bottom left of the Google photo
The report dated 1.07.1889 (Proposal to form a Golf Club)
The report dated 5.08.1889 (Land lease acquired site ready for layout)
The report of the 5.11.1890 (Anstruthers club formed and new site leasing agreed)
The report of the 10.04.1891 (Anstruthers new 9 Hole Course Opened)
In itself it is useless information but it gives us an idea how the game expanded in Scotland pre 1900. We see the limitations placed upon these fledgling clubs with minimal money to purchase land outright, having to take on short leases and on ground not generally utilised by many land owners or farmers. Some clubs having to move just to survive as farmers reclaimed their land. Yet as more of the locals became interested and club coffers started to generate income new land was always wanted to maintain that magic number 9 of if at all possible 18 putting them on par with St Andrews. Alas it took many more years to source land to expand the course to that important number 18. Nevertheless the land was still generally leased although the local council did step in in some areas. The outright purchase of these early courses was not general within the scope of the local clubs unless supported or sponsored by a wealthy landowner/farmer.
Just a little glimpse of our history on a course that many may know.
Melvyn