Forgotten Greens of Scotland
Forgotten Greens of Scotland

Bellahouston.

Bellahouston Golf Club.

 

 Instituted 1899.  An 18-hole course, reduced to 9 holes in 1910, in Bellahouston Park.

 

New Golf Course For Glasgow.

 

"A specially appointed Sub-Committee of Glasgow Corporation yesterday decided to recommend the construction of a public golf course in Bellahouston Park, which was acquired two or three years ago. The Park is situated a short distance South of Govan, and the course will be conducted on the same lines as the one in Alexandra Park." (S 2.3.1899)

   "At their meeting last week the Glasgow Corporation adopted, without comment, the recommendation of the parks committee to form a course at Bellahouston Park.Bailie Steele and Councillor Dr Dougan have already been over the ground, and marked out sites for the greens, but have not yet definitely fixed on the situations they selected. The course covers four fields which form the Southmost portion of the park. Three of these have been recently ploughed, and some time, must, therefore, elapse before they can be brought into proper condition, but the Westmost field, which adjoins Weariston Farm, has good turf. The ground is rather flat, but the hedges, three in number, offer excellent hazards for most of the holes. The course is expected to be opened early in June."

(GH 20.3.1899)

   "The new nine hole course at Bellahouston Park is to be open to the public on Monday first. The conditions of play are similar to those at Alexandra Park. Mr Whitton had some difficulty in getting the greens into proper condition, but his efforts have been crowned with a large measure of success. It is the intention of the golf committee of the Corporation to ultimately extend the course to 18 holes. A preliminary game will be played to-morrow afternoon by members and officials of the Corporation." 

(GET 2.11.1899)

Glasgow Herald November 6th, 1899

 

Opening Of Bellahouston Park Course

 

   "The new golf course which has been laid out at Bellahouston Park by the Corporation of Glasgow was formally opened on Saturday, when a number of the members of the town council and corporation officials engaged in a match. The company met in the City chambers at one o’clock, and were driven to the pavilion at the park, where Bailie Steele, convenor of the sub committee on golf, formally declared the course open. He stated that the way in which the course was at present laid out was the best they could do in the meantime, but ultimately they expected to make great improvements. Since they began to deal with the ground they had learned a good deal. They found that the Eastern part was not suitable for the purpose for which they intended it, and they hoped to have the Southern part laid out more in harmony with what they considered a golf course should be.

   The course would be developed, and they expected eventually to have eighteen holes with artificial hazards and bunkers. He concluded by expressing the hope that the course would be the means of affording recreation and enjoyment to many people not only in the district, but in other parts of the city.

   The match, which was between teams captained respectively by Bailie Steele and Dr Dougan was then commenced. The following is the result :-

 

Councillor Steele  ………………     0      Dr Dougan  ……………………………     5

Mr Jas. Paton  ……………………   0      Mr Jas. Dalrymple  …………………     5

Mr T.B. Hamilton  ………………   0      Mr A. Baird  …………………………..     9

Mr Adam Dickson  ………………  0      Mr J.B. Hamilton  …………………..     2

Councillor Alex Brown  ………… 0      Councillor Taggart  ………………...     4

Councillor Sandilands  …………  2      Councillor W.M. Martin  ………….    0

T.E. Robinson  …………………....  9      Mr John Young  ………………………    4

Dr Buchanan  ……………………..  4      Mr McLeish  …………………………...    0

Dr Chalmers  ……………………...  4      Mr A. McDonald  ……………………..    0

Mr Alex Walker  ………………….  5      Mr J.S. Gemmel  ………………………    0

 

                         Total Holes       19                                       Total Holes      29

 

Majority for Councillor Dougan's side 14 Holes."  (GH 6.11.1899)

   "With the opening of the golf course at Bellahouston Park last Saturday there are now opportunities for the practice of the game in every quarter of the city. It is the intention of the Corporation to make an eighteen hole green but in the meantime only nine will be played over. The Eastern portion of the ground was found unsuitable, so that the greens will have to be laid on the Southern ground. By-and-by artificial bunkers will be made, and other steps taken to make the course thoroughly sporting.

   Mr Whitton has done his work well, and golfers may depend upon having an enjoyable game next spring. There was a select party at the opening ceremony last Saturday, Baillie Steele, an enthusiastic golfer, declaring the links open. Thereafter a friendly match took place between teams Captained by Ballie Steele anf Dr Dougan, the latter being victorious by 14 holes." (GET 10.11.1899)

   “The links belong to the Corporation of Glasgow, the ground for which, extending to about 45 acres, was acquired from the Bellahouston Trustees in 1899.  Owing to the western half of the course - which comprised the first nine holes - being now laid out for building purposes, this popular city golf course has necessarily been curtailed.  The course will meantime will be only one of nine holes, the first hole being the tenth, with an addition of nearly 100 yards to its length.  The others will practically remain the same, and the shortened course will be 2491 yards or thereby, or nearly a mile and a half in length.

   The charge per round of nine holes is 2d, and 3d per round of 18 holes.

   There is a clubhouse close to the first tee, with a number of lockers. As showing the popularity of the links, it may be stated that the number of starters last year, including Ladies, was over 40,000.  The course can be reached by train from St Enoch Station to Ibrox in a few minutes.” (GSWR 1910)        

 

   The course was closed in 1937 to make way for the Empire Exhibition in 1938,

The course before the Empire Exhibition
The course has now been swallowed up by the exhibition.

Bellahouston Golf Club. Instituted 1899. In November 1899, a group of friends who regularly played on the Bellahouston course decided to form a golf club to be named the Bellahouston Golf Club. Entry Fee was 2/6d and thirty-eight gentlemen became members. At the first AGM in December 1900, the membership had increased to 67. The club continued to flourish but the congestion and crowning on the course led to a proposal at the 1903 AGM to form a private golf club on new land.

 

ANOTHER NEW GREEN FOR THE GLASGOW DISTRICT

 

      “The Bellahouston Golf Club is about to take unto itself a new habitation and a name.  A lease of good golfing ground has been acquired by the Club on the Ralston estate, the property of Sir Charles Cayzer, lying between Glasgow and Paisley, and on which it is intended to lay out a course of eighteen holes.  It is expected that the course will be ready for play this summer.  The Ralston Golf Club will be the new name of the Society.. Thise members who did not move to Ralston continued to use Bellahouston as individuals

However, the Bellahouston Golf Club was to rise again.

 

   "A new society, to be called the Bellahouston Golf Club, was formed on Tuesday evening. The opening match will be played tomorrow week at Bellahouston, between teams selected by the Captain and the Secretary." (GET 27.9.1907)

.  The course was closed in 1937 to make way for the Empire Exhibition in 1938.

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