Early Ayr Burgh Golf

Harry Ward

In recent issues I have mentioned several golf courses in the outlying districts of Ayrshire but for this article I would like to focus mainly on the clubs and courses within the burgh prior to the turn of the century.

Surprisingly, golf within the burgh began under the control of Ayr Cricket Club who were formed in 1853 and played their early matches at Newton Park. I trolled through the cricket club’s excellent centenary book and was again surprised to find no mention of the golf course which they laid out in 1894. This small omission on their part was of course rather pleasing to me as it was now fairly obvious that I had made another discovery in the quest and research of early Ayrshire golf.

Prior to the opening of a course at Newton Park, there had been much grumbling and complaints from the golfing public regarding the lack of facilities for golf within the burgh and comments on how the town was falling behind its neighbours, namely Prestwick and Troon, in this respect. An article from the Ayr Post in 1892 with the heading ‘Give Us A Golf Course’ highlighted the issue at the time, with a suggestion from ‘Civus’ that the racecourse should be made into a public golf course:

“I admit the Race Course could never make such a fine golf course as any of the Troon and Prestwick greens, but a very fair 9 hole course could be produced, with this great recommendation to it, namely, that it was free… it would prove an ever increasing attraction to many followers of ‘the royal and ancient game’.”

While all this complaining was going on, golf was, in fact, already being played on the old racecourse, albeit on a hurriedly improvised course, and in a totally illegal and haphazard fashion with no permission from the council or the Western Meeting officials. This caused much distress to racegoers and the public who used the ground for other recreations such as walking and football.

Two years later, Ayr Cricket Club came to the rescue, as reported by The Scottish Referee in March 1894:

“Operations are rapidly being pushed forward on the new golf course in connection with the Ayr Cricket Club, and throughout the past week the nine greens have been receiving very judicious treatment. It is expected the new links will be opened by the middle of April.”

The story also appeared in The Glasgow Herald the following month:

“On Saturday afternoon, under the auspices of the Ayr Cricket Club, new links were formally opened at Northfield Park. The new links are situated to the East of Prestwick Road, and are convenient both to residenters of Ayr and New Prestwick, a few minutes walk of Newtonhead Station. The course, which is one of nine holes, is a fairly sporting one, embracing hazards of all descriptions such as hedges, whins and burns. The course itself measures about a mile and a quarter, while the distance to the longest hole is about 300 yards.

“Since its institution the club has met with a great amount of support, there being close on fifty members. The opening ceremony was performed by Mrs Naismith, who drove the first ball.

“She was presented by Mr J. K. Hunter, Captain of the club, with a handsome driving cleek bearing an appropriate inscription.”

And so, golf in the burgh was finally up and running at Newton.