A Short History of Inverallochy Golf Club
Bygone Days, Researched and Written by William Masson
The following is an extract from the book, “Fraserburgh Past And Present” which was written by John Cranna, a former Fraserburgh Harbour Master, and published in 1914. This book may be viewed in the upstairs Reference Room of Fraserburgh Public Library.
Pages 465 and 466:
“------------, it may be mentioned that some 50 or 60 years ago, New Years Day was entirely devoted to golf, and on that occasion a number of the natives of the adjacent fishing villages of Inverallochy and Cairnbulg – no mean players in their day – met a selected team of the inhabitants ( of Fraserburgh * ) 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 fashion.”
(*) my words.
According to Cranna, golf had been played on the Fraserburgh Links from at least the 17th century. He bases this upon the unearthing of a Fraserburgh church record of the admonishing of an individual who broke the Sabbath by playing golf on the Fraserburgh Links in 1613. Golf was not played on the Corbie Hill course until the 1890s. Cranna mentions that Rosehearty golfers also did battle with their Fraserburgh counterparts on the Fraserburgh Links, observing that in every instance Fraserburgh was victorious. However, he makes no such observation concerning the matches against Cairnbulg and Inverallochy golfers whom he terms “no mean players in their day”. It would seem, therefore, that on some of these bygone New Years Days it was the Fraserburgh players who had to pay for the drinks.
“50 or 60 years ago” takes us back to the years from 1854 to 1864 since Cranna had written his book for publication in 1914. While much of the inter-village rivalry between Belgers and Cottoners has subsided, it may be considered highly unlikely that in that era any Cairnbulg golfer would be playing on Inverallochy ground and vice versa. Banding together in order to beat the Brochers would have been an entirely different matter. We know that Cairnbulg golfers used to play “wast bye” on the piece of ground which lies inland from the Watch Hut and Harbour.[1] We also know that Inverallochy golfers used to play on ground which is now part of Inverallochy Golf Course. If Cranna is correct, and his book is still regarded as the defining history of Fraserburgh, the most likely scenario may be that of the existence of several golf holes on both Cairnbulg and Inverallochy ground over 150 years ago.
Formation of the Club
Original copies of the “Fraserburgh Herald”, dating from 1884 to the present day, may be viewed in the upstairs Reference Room of Fraserburgh Public Library. On page 7 of the issue dated 26/04/1904 we are informed that Inverallochy Golf Club was established in 1888. However, an article to be found on page 2 of the issue dated 26/08/1902 is more precise. It states that the club was founded in April, 1888[2]. There seems little reason to doubt the accuracy of this information since the article is dealing, not with some distant, bygone event, but with something which had happened only 14 years previously.
Sandwich, 1905: Why the Match Was Played
When, in the early 1890s, the Corbiehill Course was opened, Fraserburgh decided upon an inter-club match with Inverallochy, the first leg being on the new Fraserburgh Course. The Fraserburgh team managed a draw but was well beaten in the return match on the Whitelink Course.
Inverallochy then played Peterhead. The fishermen lost the first match (away) but won a convincing victory against their opponents in the home match.
In 1897, Inverallochy beat Peterhead both home and away.
Rosehearty players fared no better.
The usual method of scoring in such matches was as follows:
At the end of each match, the number of holes won by the home player was noted as was that of the away player. When the last match had ended, the amount of holes won by each team was totalled, the team winning the most holes being the victors. This method ensured that all golfers had a full round.
In 1901, Inverallochy went to the Aberdeen Victoria Golf Club and lost. However, the return leg produced an emphatic victory for the home side.
1902 produced another match between these two clubs. At Aberdeen, the home side narrowly won an evenly balanced match by 7 holes. In the return at Whitelink, the visitors were played off the course, the deficit being 69 holes. During that year also, the Fraserburgh and Peterhead Clubs fared no better at Inverallochy.
There may be some, nowadays, who consider the 1905 match at Sandwich to be some sort of stunt arranged by local MP, A. W. Maconochie; a patronising attempt to give these ten quaintly dressed, strangely spoken constituents a glimpse of their more civilised neighbours further south. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Inverallochy golfers were, in the words of the Tina Turner song, “simply the best, better than all the rest.” When Maconochie, a keen golfer, took the Inverallochy (and 1 Cairnbulg) players south to play Prime Minister Arthur Balfour and 9 of his parliamentary colleagues, he was accompanying the best golf team in the whole of his constituency.
Sandwich,1905: The Match
Prior to the match, the fishermen, attired in their customary dark jerseys, were shown around some of London’s more famous landmarks. They found themselves mobbed by thousands, all eager to catch a glimpse of the “wild men” from the far North. Sandwich was no different and large galleries followed the players.
Ten matches, in the form of foursomes, were to be played on Saturday, April the 1st, five in the forenoon and another five after lunch. After the morning’s play, the fishermen were trailing by 3 matches to 2, an excellent effort when considering the strangeness of the course and the unaccustomed smoothness of the “billiard table” greens. The stage was set for a good afternoon’s performance. After all, the Inverallochy players would by now have grown more accustomed to both the course and greens.
After lunch, a foursome decided to split into two singles matches. There would be 6 points at stake during the afternoon instead of 5. The “good performance” did not materialise.
During the afternoon play, the Inverallochy golfers did not win a single point and lost by 9 matches to 2.
It has long been maintained locally that, at lunchtime, the parliamentarians were overly zealous in their efforts to see to the liquid requirements[3] of their guests.
This seems likely: for the following reasons.
During the morning, 4 of the matches were close, the exception being a 5 and 3 win for an Inverallochy pairing.
In those days, fishermen had to be very fit indeed. The Northerners, therefore, should have had the advantage when playing the second round taking into account their superior fitness and stamina.
In the afternoon, we find two results of 6 and 5 and one of 7 and 6: for the parliamentarians. Evidently the Prime Minister and his MPs had become better players; or the skill of some of their opponents had lessened. The latter option seems more likely.
There can be little doubt that a rematch, that year or the following, played at Whitelink and in a much “drier” climate than that of the South of England, would have resulted in a resounding win for Inverallochy. For Sang, Skeel, Beembie and company the chance of such a victory never came again. Some 98 years later, that chance fell to a team which included some of their grandsons. This time, the opportunity was grabbed with both hands. After a wait of almost a century, Inverallochy got her revenge.
From 1900 to the 1950s
There may be some today who think that Inverallochy Golf Club did not possess an 18 hole golf course until 1954. This assumption would be erroneous.
What follows is a description of Inverallochy Golf Course in an article on page 2 of the Fraserburgh Herald, dated 26/08/1902.
“There are 18 holes and the total length of the course, which lies between Inverallochy and St. Combs, is 2 ¾ miles. The longest hole is about 450 yards, the others varying from 190 to 300 yards. ---------------. The Long Hole has a deep natural hazard about 100 yards from the tee, with bents at the further side. At the 6th, the Allochy Burn forms a hazard for the drive to the 7th. The 15th, “Perplexity”, with its green upon a plateau, hazarded by cart ruts and surrounded by bents, makes a very sporting hole. The 17th is hazarded by deep ruts, and needs careful negotiation; and “Sodom” needs to be played to have its characteristics quite understood.
The record for the extended course is 73, established by Mr. W. Whyte, one of the members. Archie Simpson and Robbie Mearns, the Aberdeen professionals, have done the round in 74 and 75 respectively, and that performance has been equalled by Charles Stephen, Alexander Ritchie (Skeel) and Alexander Whyte, secretary, all members.”
There was, then, an 18 hole course at the beginning of the 20th century. During successive decades however, for some reason or another, the state of the course declined[4]. A local farmer started to graze sheep on much of the course. It would seem that he regarded the land as his since he endeavoured to prevent local fishermen playing during the lambing season. However, the land did not belong to the farmer. Neither did it belong to the Inverallochy golfers. The huge expanse of land stretching from Inverallochy to Charleston belonged to the Catholic Church.
In 1951, that body decided to sell most of the ground, retaining ownership of only part of what is now the first fairway.
The farmer entered a bid which, if successful, would mean the end of Inverallochy Golf Club.
A fisherman, Robert Duthie (Herrings) of Frederick Street, Inverallochy, informed golf club committee members that he would stand good for any bid which they decided to tender. Accordingly, Alex Ritchie (Sang’s Alex) drove to Edinburgh, accompanied by Edward Buchan (Eidie), George Buchan (Eidie’s Geokie) and Robert Gordon. Their destination was the offices of the legal firm which was dealing with the sale of the Whitelink land. The Inverallochy Golf Club representatives made an offer of £400. This bid was successful.
Robert Duthie had said, “Pay me back when you can.” Naturally, the Golf Committee wished to do so sooner rather than later. So it was that each household in Inverallochy was visited, the tenants asked to contribute to the “pay back Robert” fund. Save for one householder, all Inverallochy inhabitants obliged. It should be said, also, that contributions, though unsolicited, were forthcoming from residents on the north side of the Strype.
The £400 was repaid. A Board of Trustees was elected, charged with the responsibility of caring for the newly acquired land on behalf of the people of Inverallochy. Still more money was raised, through concerts held in Inverallochy Public Hall for example, since much work still had to be done on the course.
By 1954, Inverallochy once more had an 18 hole golf course. Andrew Masson (Titlin), whose brother, Robert, had played at Sandwich, famously opened the new course by slamming a Silver King golf ball up the middle of the first fairway in June of that year.
We may view the Inverallochy Golf Club of the 50s with some amusement. The surfaces of the tiny greens could be compared to those of present day fairways. The rough was sometimes ferocious. There was no clubhouse, the members having to leave their completed score cards in an old wooden wheelhouse which used to stand near the present day 17th tee.
However, it is doubtful if any other decade will hold more significance in the history of Inverallochy Golf Club. It was a time when the club was faced with closure; but survived.
[1] According to Robert Tait, born in 1926 and brought up in Cairnbulg, there existed 2 golf holes (known locally as “Gleneagles”) in this area both during and before his time. Jimmy Gibb, a former Fraserburgh golf professional, added 7 more holes around 1935.
[2] An examination of the surviving copies of Fraserburgh Heralds dated 1887, 1888 and 1889 proved fruitless.
[3] While in London, Alex Ritchie (Skeel) and George Buchan (Eidie’s Geo) went to visit Lady Fraser at her town residence, 10 Moon Square. After ushering the two into a sitting room, Her Ladyship’s butler returned, carrying two large glasses of whiskey on a silver salver. Geo took the proffered glass, saying to the butler, “I’ll have you know, sir, that my friend, Mr. Ritchie, is a staunch tee-totaller.” A dismayed Skeel sat watching as his glass disappeared along with the retreating butler.
[4] A Cottoner, born in 1925, said, “When I was young, it was usually the young lads who played the holes over the brae (nowadays, the 9th , 10th , 11th , 12th and 13th holes). Most of the members turned at the brae (Brewstick). When you played the first hole up the brae ( 9th ), you went to where you thought your drive had landed. The first ball you found, you played. Things improved when Sang’s Alex (Alex Ritchie) went over with the tractor to cut the rough.”
Extract from the Fraserburgh Herald, April 26th 1904 More
That popular and widely read London periodical “The King and His Navy and Army” makes the following interesting reference in it’s last week’s issue to our golfing friends of Inverallochy:- There is a curious little community of fishermen golfers at a village called Inverallochy, on the North East Coast of Scotland, near Fraserburgh. The fishing population numbers 1200 persons and out of this number there are about130 fisher golfers in the local club, which dates from 1888. These fishermen can put 15 scratch players in the field against any opponents, and in match tournaments with other clubs they have never been beating on their own links. From June to October the fishermen are at the herring and other fishing in the waters round Scotland, England, and Ireland; but from October until may when they are working at home, golf is their only recreation, and has long superseded football, at which they were once also adepts. The golf course is at their doors, and practice is carried on daily with keenest zest. They are tall, strong, well-knit, inured to toil and all kinds of weather, and they do not wear coats. The fishermen can put a strong team of fifty men in the field against another club, and this is the number that they favour for a side in tournaments with other clubs. Through an arrangement made by Mr Maconochie, MP, a team of a dozen visited Edinburgh last spring and played a match against the Edinburgh Burgess at Barton. The fishermen were beaten, for the green was a soft inland one, and they were not accustomed to the lies and the green. A hope was at that time expressed that some club near London would arrange a match with the fishermen, but up to the present nothing has come of the suggestion. To show the golfing stuff of which the fishermen are made, however it may be mentioned that they played their annual match, thirty a side, against the Victoria Club of Aberdeen, on the neutral course of Cruden Bay. It was a splendid match: for when twenty-nine couples had finished their round the score was “all square.” The decision rested with the last couple; and here the Inverallochy fisherman beat his Aberdeen opponent by handsomely by 9 holes, giving the fishermen the match by 64 to 55 holes. Could the Royal St, Georges at Sandwich or the Deal and Littlestone clubs not arrange a match with the Inverallochy men ere they go down in their boats to the sea next month ?