The possibility of forming a golf club in Uplawmoor was first formally discussed at a meeting of interested gentlemen in the Old School House in the village on April 2, 1903. Major William Mure, the owner of the Caldwell Estate, had already been interviewed by two of those in attendance that evening after an area of his land had previously been identified as the most advantageous site for a course.
The possibility of forming a golf club in Uplawmoor was first formally discussed at a meeting of interested gentlemen in the Old School House in the village on April 2, 1903. Major William Mure, the owner of the Caldwell Estate, had already been interviewed by two of those in attendance that evening after an area of his land had previously been identified as the most advantageous site for a course.
Mr D Howatson and Mr D G Nicholson told the meeting Major Mure was “favourably disposed towards the venture and had granted the use of certain fields within the policies of Caldwell Estate for a golf course on the understanding that suitable terms could be arranged with the grazing tenant, Mr Raeside, of Westerland.”
Major Mure even pledged £20, a generous donation indeed in those days and also promised to assist further by helping to put the grounds in order. He was also unwilling to accept any payment from members residing locally on the estate, stressing that he did, though, expect to receive a percentage of the charge made to members outwith the estate. The annual rental was latterly set at £5 for the first year and 4/- per member.
Many of the initial 14 members names are still familiar within the club. The first captain was Mr Howatson and subscriptions were set at 10/6 for those on the Estate and 12/6 from outside.
The services of Professional Willie Fernie of Troon to lay out the course for a fee of a guinea. Fernie was born in St Andrews and won the Open at Musselburgh in 1883 and runner up in no fewer than five other occasions. His course designing legacy also includes – Turnberry Ailsa and Arran – Troon Portland - Cardross – Whitecraigs, with remodelling Royal Troon and Cochrane Castle.
The fact that the club had been constituted was advertised in the local newspapers, the Barrhead News and the Paisley Gazette, inviting ‘friendly members’ to join.
Just a few short weeks after the clubs formation, Willie Fernie had laid out his original course and golfers started to play over it. So it is hardly surprising the condition of the course left a great deal to be desired in those formative years.
A month after the course was opened the club minutes show the club captain, Mr Howatson, had “procured a man to cut grass over the course.” The minutes continued: “This man would work two days a week to keep the green in order over the summer months.” One of his first tasks was to erect fences around the greens.
Just a few short weeks aster the clubs formation, Willie Fernie had laid out his original course and golfers started to play over it. So it is hardly surprising the condition of the course left a great deal to be desired in those formative years.
A month after the course was opened the club minutes show the club captain, Mr Howatson, had “procured a man to cut grass over the course.” The minutes continued: “This man would work two days a week to keep the green in order over the summer months.” One of his first tasks was to erect fences around the greens.
Farmyard animals grazing across the land, an absence of properly qualified greenkeeping staff and the first members being blissfully unaware of the game’s etiquette all added up to a recipe for disaster. In short, the course was nothing more than a glorified farmer’s field with tees and greens.
A letter to the Barrhead News from ‘A Well-wisher’ just over a year after the clubs formation voiced the general unhappiness among members and visitors at the condition of the course. It stated: ”For an inland course, it (Caldwell) is one of the prettiest I have seen. But are members expected to pay a yearly subscription and train fares to play on a course with knee deep rough and lose half a dozen balls every round? The smooth old turf at Fereneze will be a more favourite rendezvous in future.”
Maps of the original layout are no longer in existence if, indeed, they ever actually were. However, considering the limited are of ground the club had to work with – the land the course is built on even today barely covers 90 acres – it is most likely the original 16 holes did not vary hugely from the course members enjoy now.
The course had been extended to 18 holes by the next annual general meeting in 1905. Again, it is highly probable that, following the recommendation of Major Mure at the clubs formation, the lower field below his residence at Caldwell House had been incorporated into the original plan and two holes added.
Still, this welcome addition to the original layout would appear to have had little affect on the overall condition of the course. The club records show that in 1906 the greenkeeper’s duties include having to “clean up cow,cattle and sheep droppings”.
From examining the beautiful painting of the former course plan that is in the possession of club member Angus MacCulloch and that he has generously allowed to be featured in this book, it can safely be concluded these additional holes are the sixth and seventh as members know the course today.
The grazing of animals on courses was a common practice at this time. In many cases, their presence was actually used in order to retain the condition of the turf on the fairways and was preferred to modern machinery like the motor mower. It is a tradition that actually continues on many of this county’s more remote courses to this day. A speciality in Scotland at this time was a flag pole to have a spring segment just above the ground. This allowed animals to run against it without pushing the pole out of the ground and damaging the putting surface.
But the harm inflicted on the course by animals was not just limited to those of the farmyard variety. In 1913 a letter was sent from the club to the Lanark and Renfrewshire Hunt complaining “the hunters had trespassed on the golf course.“ The Hunt duly paid £4 to employ a man to repair the damage.
Shortly after the club bought the course in 1925 and a new motor mower was purchased – after 20 years of service from the previous machine – as were 40 gallons of liquid worm killer, four trucks of sea sand and a truck of moss killer.
With a free rein to implement whatever changes they saw fit the new board was obviously keen to improve the condition of the course and also the challenge it presented. At the end of 1927 they invited the famous professional golfer and course architect James Braid to visit and advise on a “scheme of features and any alterations or improvements that might suggest themselves to him”. Perhaps his best known work is the renowned Kings Course at Gleneagles and that he won 5 Open championships.
The Greens committee decided, pending the eagerly anticipated visit by Braid, not to make any serious alterations to the course at that time. Unfortunately, a copy of Braid’s report is no longer in existence. These letters are considered something of a collector’s item among golf course historians and have been known to fetch tidy sums at auction. Braid would, though, simply have suggested subtle alterations to holes in general and specifically the introduction of certain strategically placed bunkers to gobble up the errant shot.
After holding a special meeting to consider Braid’s findings in May of 1928 the green committee recommended to the board the “featuring of the greens of holes 4,6,7,8,11 and 18 in accordance with the report of Mr James Braid”. This was approved and the extensive changes he suggested were carried out.
The cost of the alterations was originally put at around £130. This proved to be a conservative estimate. With six new bunkers being built that figure shot up considerably to £198. However, the board were clearly not deterred by the financial implications and went further still with their programme of alterations.
The records of the time show that work was also being carried out on the 1st, 2nd, 15th and 16th greens. Additional bunkers were also built at all of those holes and the 5th, 9th, 10th and 12th. In total, the cost of these extensive alterations amounted to the not inconsiderable sum of £397.10/-.
Still the club board were not satisfied. In November 1928 board member Gordon Smith suggested they ask James Braid to revisit the course in order to “obtain a further opinion of the 11th hole”. The very next month it was reported that Mr Braid had again graced Caldwell with his presence and had suggested making a new 12th hole. This was to lie to the right of the 11th fairway and would be “played eastwards across the burn”.
While Braid’s influence may have improved the quality of the course it did not appear to have an immediate affect on the condition and complaints were still being received. In response to the barbed missives, the green convenor was instructed to reconstruct and recondition tees and green on no fewer that 13 of the holes.
The exasperating situation was clearly too much for the secretary and treasurer of the day who wrote to the board in May 1934 regarding “the serious condition of the fairways, through members, associates and their friends failing to replace the turf.” He continued: “Unless immediate and drastic action is taken the corse will be in well nigh unplayable condition before long. This trouble, present on all golf courses, has been particularly bad on Caldwell. The elementary matter of golf etiquette must be strictly observed.”
The greenkeepers of the day were only too happy to name the chief culprits and the committee took appropriate disciplinary action.
(extracts from Caldwell Golf Club – The first Hundred Years – 1903 –2003).
