It’s a remarkable story, the likes I have not come across in a long golf writing career.
The story of the Scottish golf club of Fortrose and Rosemarkie a decade ago in 2013 celebrated its 125th anniversary but then only to discover just three years later, a club had been in place 95-years earlier in 1793.
Now seven years on from a 125th anniversary in 2016 and this year, 2023 marks the 230th anniversary of Fortrose and Rosemarkie and a good occasion to share with you the remarkable recent events in the history of golf’s now 15th oldest club.
Mike MacDonald is the proud Secretary at Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club, laid-out along the northern shores of the Moray Firth near Inverness in northern Scotland.
Welcome to Fortrose and Rosemarkie GC – Photograph thanks to the club.
I’ve had the enormous pleasure of knowing Mike for some time, and it was back in 2011 when Mike reached out to the European Tour to see whether members of the media who would be gathering on the southern shoreline of the Moray Firth to report on the inaugural hosting of the then Barclays Scottish Open being staged at Castle Stuart, would be interested in a friendly competition with members of Fortrose and Rosemarkie.
Through the combined efforts of the then European Tour’s Scott Kelly and Mike’s generous arrangements, around 10 members of the media warmly met-up at Fortrose on the eve of the Scottish Open to play a very friendly Ryder Cup format series of matches against members of Fortrose. Afterwards we’d gathered in the clubhouse to enjoy a wonderful meal along with a few drinks, and with great thanks to Fortrose.
A great shot of the Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club – this year (2023) golf’s 15th oldest club is celebrating its 230th anniversary,
We enjoyed this wonderful get-together for four years when the Scottish Open was held at Castle Stuart – 2011 to 2013 and then in 2016.
Looking back, I can recall the 2011 tournament, as Jeev Milka Singh was relaxing in the clubhouse and thinking his tournament was over but then shocked to learn around an hour or so later, he was in a play-off for Scotland’s premier golf tournament.
Jeev Milka grabbed his golf clubs and went back out on the course to birdie the first extra hole, much to the delight of his champion 1958 Commonwealth Games 400-meters gold-medal winning runner’s father.
Two years later, it was Phil Mickelson winning also in a play-off, and making amends for six years earlier in losing the Scottish title in play-off Frenchman Gregory Havret at Loch Lomond. What was special about Mickelson’s Castle Stuart victory, is that week later Mickelson made it a Scottish victory double in being handed the famed Claret Jug at Muirfield.
Of course, the club hosted the media in 2011 and 2012, but what I vividly recall of our 2013 visit across the Kessock’s road bridge and then making our way along the Moray Firth foreshore to Fortrose, was the club that year was proudly celebrating its 125th anniversary, having been founded in 1888.
Of course, there were many club-related functions to celebrate the occasion and with the club also arranging for the printing of a commemorative 125th anniversary pin flag to mark their quasquicentennial anniversary (See photographs)
Mike MacDonald (in blue top) proudly holding the 18th hole flagstick in July 2013, and on the occasion of Fortrose & Rosemarkie’s 125th anniversary however events would change a few years later
Your author managed to twist a few arms of some of the best golfers in the world to sign a then 125th anniversary commemorative flag for the club – Can you identify the autographs?
Though Fortrose’s place on the list of the world’s oldest golf clubs was in a for a surprise elevation.
In 2016, Mike learned that a chap looking through old newspapers in Edinburgh, and here I am talking of newspapers printed in 1793, came across a notice advising the annual general meeting of the Fortrose club would be taking place on an upcoming day in July, 1793!
“So, from celebrating the 125th anniversary of Fortrose and Rosemarkie three years ago, we’ve had 93-years added to the club’s history,” said Mike rightfully excitedly at the time in 2016.
It means that the club was at least a registered golf club in 1793 and thus placing Fortrose as golf’s 15th oldest club.
Suffice to say, it meant abandoning recognition the club was founded in 1888 and instead, now celebrating the club had been in excistence since 1793. Though as Mike rightfully pointed out, who is to say that Fortrose could have been founded even earlier than 1793 though, as yet, that cannot be officially determined.
The new club logo indentifying ‘since 1793’ which suggests the club very well could be older than 1793. Who’s to doubt it couldn’t?
Going onto the club’s website under the section ‘Club History’ you now read:
“If the game of golf was played in the Kingdom of Fife in the late 15th century, it could not have been many years later before it was introduced to the Highlands. However, the first documentary evidence of golf being played over Chanonry (now Fortrose) was not until 1702. A reference in the 1793 Statistical Account of Rosemarkie, confirmed that the game had been introduced many years earlier and had become an established sporting activity of the area. Evidence is now in place making Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Links the 15th Oldest Recorded Club in the World with golf being played along the current 6th, 7th and 8th holes up further up towards the town of Fortrose in 1793 alongside the current caravan site. An AGM was also arranged for the month of July 1793 in Williamson’s Tavern! “
“The first documentary evidence of golf being played over Chanonry (now called Fortrose) was in 1702. It was contained in a letter from a Mr George MacKenzie of Balconie, a cousin of the Earl of Seaforth and provost of Fortrose at that time. Writing to his Edinburgh law agent, he thanks him for sending him a club and golf balls but admits that as a farmer he should not really be playing golf at harvest time. He then excuses himself at succumbing to such sporting pleasure by adding the words ‘Oportet Vivre’ (Life is for living) – a philosophy followed by many golfers to this day!”
It is interesting to note, and prior to the discovery of the 1793 newspaper revelation, the official ‘Club History’ item on the club’s website naturally centered around 1888, and while the webpage has been since been updated, it’s most interesting to read of life now 135-years ago:
“By 1888 the railways had spread their tentacles northwards although it was still a few years before the highland railway company would construct a line to run through the Black Isle to Fortrose. Passenger traffic at that time was mainly by boat. The centuries old ferry from Ardersier to Chanonry was still in operation and a regular steamer service plied the Inverness firth between Fortrose and Inverness.
“At this time the finest five-year old malt was selling for 3/- a bottle, local papers were carrying advertisements promoting the latest discoveries including coffee essence and national newspapers were bringing news of the alleged (3rd and 4th) victims of Jack the Ripper. John Logie Baird, the Scottish inventor of the world’s first, publicly demonstrated television was also born in 1888.“
So, this year of 2023 thus marks the 230th anniversary of Fortrose and Rosemarkie.
Here’s raising a glass to 230-years young.
As I mentioned, it is one of my all time favourite golf club stories, and if you like your golfing experience to come with history you could do no wrong in making a visit to Fortrose and Rosemarkie.
