Forgotten Greens of Scotland
Forgotten Greens of Scotland

Historic Fraserburgh's Other Course

Fraserburgh from golfing annual 1889

 

 

Fraserburgh Golf Club, 1882.

 

Entrance Fee, Five Shillings ; Annual Subscription, Five Shillings. Number of Members, 35. Captain James Stevenson. Committee Thomas Park, D. Melville, W. Grant, "W. Noble, A. Cardno, and George Stephen. Secretary John Cranna, jun., Harbour Treasurer, Fraserburgh.

Home Green Fraserburgh Links. Greenkeeper A. Yule. Club Prizes. Gold Medal (scratch) ; Gold Medal (handicap) played for monthly.

Prize Winners in 1888. -Scratch Medal : John Trail. Handicap Medal : Robert Match.

The Lowest Scratch Score in a club competition is 78, made by John Trail, October 6th, 1888.

 

Although the Fraserburgh Golf Club was only resuscitated in 1882, the game has been played upon the Fraserburgh Links by devotees in the town and district for more than one hundred years. Some of the ancestors of the present Lord Saltoun were enthusiastic golfers, and they, in addition to many of the neighbouring landed gentry, regularly frequented Fraserburgh Links generations ago, and engaged in matches. As some indication of the estimation in which the game was held, it may be mentioned that thirty or forty years back NewYear's Day was entirely devoted to golfing, and on that occasion a large number of the natives of the adjacent fishing villages no mean players in their day met a selected team of the inhabitants on the links of Fraserburgh to do battle for a fixed sum of money. On completion of the match victors and vanquished adjourned to the leading alehouse, where the sum at stake was duly consumed in liquor, and the match " played over again," at times in the most uproarious

manner. Although a period of lethargy ensued, golfing has in recent years made great progress, and the local club takes rank as one of the strongest in the north. The course comprises two rounds, nine holes each, of the Fraserburgh Links. It is fully three-quarters of a mile long, and beautifully situated, overlooking as it does, Fraserburgh Bay and Sands, which stretch for a length of three miles. A round may be obtained and is sometimes utilised that presents a good many hazards amongst bent and sand ; but the one generally used contains only a few real difficulties in the shape of burns, roads, and fences. The links are pretty level, and the turf is of the very finest, thus enabling the club to have natural putting greens that could with one or two exceptions scarcely be excelled.

Fraserburgh Herald, October 22nd, 1884

Golf – Victoria club ( Aberdeen ) V Fraserburgh Club.

 

A match between teams representing the above clubs was played  over the Fraserburgh Links on Saturday. The weather was favourable, but the greens, owing to heavy rain on the previous night, were rough and heavy. Twelve couples started, and played two rounds of the green of nine holes. At the conclusion of the game, it was found that the Fraserburgh club had gained 37 holes and the strangers 13 holes, victory thus resting with the home club by 24 holes.

Upon the conclusion of the match the Fraserburgh club entertained the Aberdeen men to dinner in the Dalrymple Café. After doing ample justice to the good things set before them, a couple of hours were passed together very pleasantly. Scores :-

 

Fraserburgh

 

                                                                                                         Holes

G. Downie   …………………………………………..                     5

J. Mellville ………………………………………………..              0

W. Flett  ………………………………………………………..      5

J. Stephenson   …………………………………………                  9

A. Noble  ………………………………………………………      0

A. Mitchell  ……………………………………………                  0

G. Stephen  …………………………………………………..         7

W. Noble  ……………………………………………….                5

J. Trail  …………………………………………………………     5

T. Black  ……………………………………………………..         0

G.M. Jones  ……………………………………………………      0

J. Brown  …………………………………………………………  1

                                                                                                         ­­­­___

       Total                                                                                          37

 

Victoria

 

                                                                                                           Holes

J. Gray  ………………………………………………………           0

A. Maitland   ……………………………………………………       2

W. Moir  ………………………………………………………..       0

G. Durward  ………………………………………………..              0

A. McConnachie  ……………………………………………..          1

J. Emslie  …………………………………………………………    6

W. Mackenzie  ……………………………………………….           0

J. Gow  ……………………………………………………………    0

G.F. Thomson  ………………………………………………….       0

J. Fairley  ………………………………………………………..      4

R.B.N. Findlater  ……………………………………………..          0

J. Duncan  …………………………………………………………   0

                                                                                                           ___

     Total                                                                                              13

Fraserburgh Herald  October 29th, 1884

Golf

Rosehearty V Fraserburgh

 

A match between the above clubs was played on Saturday afternoon over the Rosehearty Links. The weather was fine. The greens though in good order, were new and dull. Six couples started and played two rounds of the green, or 18 holes. At the close of the game it was found the Fraserburgh club had gained by 30 holes.

Scores :- Fraserburgh – J. Mellville, 2 holes ; Geo. Downie, 9 ; W. Flett, 13 ; W. Noble, 1 ; J. Stevenson, 9 ; G.M. Joss, 0.

Rosehearty – Colonel A.D. Fordyce, 0 ; James D. Sharp, 0 ; John Skinner, 0 ; William Watt, 0 ; J.R. Scott, 0 ; J.R. Youngson, 4.

Total for Fraserburgh, 34 ; Total for Rosehearty, 4.

Fraserburgh Herald April 14th, 1885

Fraserburgh Golf Club

 

A members match styled “ over 30s versus under 30s.” which has caused no little excitement amongst the golfers here, came off on the evenings of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. When the last couples had finished on Saturday it was found that the young men had gained by 14 holes.

A splendid game was played by W. Flett, who, for the young men came in with the fine score of 84 ; while G. Stephen for the elders played in his usual, steady, and careful manner for 86.

Annexed are the results of the individual competitions :-

 

J. Stephenson,           0       Walter Flett,         5

A. Noble Senr.          0       Alex Mitchell       0

Wm. Noble,              0       G.M. Joss,            6

Geo. Stephen,           5       John Trail,            0

Peter Noble,             0        John Stephen,      7

John Buchan,            0       A. Nobel Junr,      1

John Crannan,          0        John Brown,         6

R. Buchan,                0       A.T. Brown,          5

Geo. Milne,              3       J. Dunbar,              0

R. Messer,                1       Geo. Robertson,     0

Wm. Grant,              0       Alex Rae,               2

Charles Black,         4        Geo. Murison,       0

A.McNab,                5        Downie Ritchie,    0

 

The play of some of the elders did not at all come up to expectation.

Fraserburgh Herald April 21st, 1885

Golf.

 

The competition for the monthly handicap medal took place on Wednesday, and Saturday last. The weather on both days was fine, and good scoring was thus made much more easy. The play of A. Mitchell was particularly good, he taking the two rounds with 80, which is the best on record this season. W. Noble followed with 85 ; W.Flett 87 ; J. Stephen, 88 ; J. Trail, 88 ; A. Noble Sen., 88 ; J. Brown, 90 ; G.M. Joss, 90 ; J. Stephenson, 90 ; and A. Rae, 94.

 

The following is the score with handicap :-

 

      A.Mitchell,       80    2off,   78.

W. Noble,         85    4off     81.

A.A. Rae,          91    9 off   82

J. Stephen,        88     4         84

J. Brown,          90     6         84

J. Trail,             88     4         84.

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