Rccently, and in the space of 40 minutes, two previously unknown newspaper notices for Earlsferry Golf Society in 1787 and Fortrose Golf Society in 1793 were discovered.
They were found in one search of the British Newspaper Archive at the National Library of Scotland in the Caledonian Mercury which published three times a week from 1720 to 1867.
They bring to 18 the number of golf clubs which have a continuous or non-continuous history dating back to the 18th century.
However, not only are these two clubs now among the oldest, but their courses probably are as well. Virtually all the oldest golf clubs moved from their original golfing grounds because of congestion or to be able to create 18-hole courses in mid/late 19th century.
Fortrose Golf Society
The Fortrose Golf Society citation is a notice of the ‘general annual meeting’ to be held at Williamson’s Tavern with dinner at 4pm on Wednesday 3rd July 1793.
The notice was published in the Caledonian Mercury and the golf club is called the Fortrose Golf Society and the only two officers of the club mentioned are Charles Mackenzie, the President, and Duncan Munro, the ‘Croupier’. No captain is given but the concept of Captain as the key office bearer was not yet an established part of all golf clubs
Notice of the annual meeting of the Fortrose Golf Club to be held on 3rd July, 1793.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie may now have to change their logo to read – 225th anniversary 1793 – 2018.
It is not new news that golf was played at Fortrose at this time but this date is 95 years before the Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club was instituted.
More importantly it makes it more probable that the area of play on Chanonry Ness at Fortrose extended to where today’s golfers play, over the caravan park and possibly the 6th, 7th, 8th and part of 9th holes. If so that could put Fortrose in a select group of courses played before 1800. Historical map references from that time have been accessed to show where golf would have been played and this leads down from the caravan site in Fortrose to the 6th hole.
http://www.scottishgolfhistory.org/oldest-golf-clubs-societies/1793-fortrose-golf-society-1888/
http://www.scottishgolfhistory.org/oldest-golf-sites/1702-fortrose-/
The location of Williamson’s Tavern has yet to be established and Fortrose and Rosemarkie is hoping for assistance in this regard.
It was always likely that there were more old golf clubs to be re-discovered and with newly digitised newspapers and other historical material, more finds were to be expected. What was totally unexpected was that two would be found in such a short space of time, both in the same search from one newspaper, the Caledonian Mercury.
The stunning Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club now 95 years older than first thought.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie Secretary Mike MacDonald says: “With all the efforts and hours the club put in to the 125th anniversary it looks like we will be celebrating 225 years in 2018 which coincides with the Club hosting the Scottish Boy Under 16’s Stroke Play Championship.”
Earlsferry Golf Society
The announcement for Earlsferry Golf Society appeared on 26th April 1787 calling all the members to a dinner on Tuesday 1st May, 1787.
Earlsferry is today better known as Elie and it is one of only three golf courses still played which goes back to 18th century or even the 16th century (the other two being the old courses at St Andrews and Musselburgh).
The existence of the Earlsferry Golf Society means that formal golf club activity there also goes back to 1787 at least. This find has enabled a fuller history of the club to be written.
