Course of a Century 1896-1996
Difficult Years Ahead
Following the successful first season the Club was soon to realise that although money was readily available to build the course, paying for the continuing upkeep was to be another matter.
In October 1896 the Club held its first Annual General Meeting, and the office bearers to carry the Club forward were:
- President - Gen Sir Peter Lumsden, Buchromb
- Vice President - Dr Cowie, Dullanbrae
- Captain - Rev. J B Cumming
- Vice Captain - Rev. A G Gerrie
The first financial report showed that the Club's finances were sound, the years income was £113 and expenditure £110. There was the pressing need for a Clubhouse however, and a proposal was discussed to hold a bazaar to finance the project.
A series of special meetings were held over the winter months, and a strong body of opinion emerged in favour of also forming a Bowling Club and building a bowling green.
The last of these meetings in March 1897 agreed to proceed only with the Clubhouse with expenditure limited to £70. Any balance was to be used within 2 years for the Bowling Club development. It was to be 1908 before we find the next reference to the Bowling Club when both clubs agreed to share the same greenkeeper.
In 1913 a record is contained in the Minutes of a meeting with the Bowling Club and of a formal agreement setting out the arrangements between the two clubs to share the greenkeeper, John Reid.
A specification for the new Clubhouse was drawn up and an offer accepted from Mr A K Garrow to construct it for £56.5 shillings; it was to be ready for 15 May 1897.
It was duly constructed and ready by the specified date, and sited conveniently near to the entrance to the course by the road.
The Fittie Burn ran just behind the new Clubhouse and this was to present problems in later years as no septic tank would be permitted within 100 yards of the burn.
Some 30 years later the Club was to abandon this Clubhouse and build one on the present site about 200 yards away. The original Clubhouse is still standing but used now only to store farming equipment.
Mr John Reid, 31 Fife Street, was then appointed greenkeeper and to look after the Clubhouse for a salary of £15 p.a.
At the second Annual General Meeting the financial deficit was £20 and this was repeated in the following year, the main cause was the relatively high rent charged, which was the normal commercial rate for farmland.
Crisis followed crisis for quite a few years and was only to be resolved after the new proprietor of the Estate, Mr S Eadie, allowed the Club more favourable terms of rent.
It was 1905 when the Club was on the point of quitting the tenancy, before agreement was reached with the Estate Factor to have the rent reduced from about £40 to £34 p.a.
We read in Club records that Mr Eadie also agreed to provide the Club with some 7 to 9 loads of sand free, for use on the greens, and generously donated £5 to the Club for several years.
It is clear that it was in his interest to keep the course as an added attraction to his sporting activities, and later terms were introduced for monthly rates for his clients to play the course during the shooting season.
The Club continued to sub-let the ground for grazing for about half of the amount of the rent, but this was not without drawbacks as it was to lead to a claim for compensation against the Club.
The fences at some time could not have been properly maintained and sheep strayed from the course on to the adjoining Pittyvaich Estate. The claim was settled by an independent arbiter requiring the Club to pay compensation of 19 shillings to Mrs Symon for damage to turnips.
Apart from a later assessment for Income Tax on the rent received the finances of the Club were to remain on an even keel for years to come. Tribute was later to be paid to the Treasurer, Major John Innes, when he left office in 1925 after having occupied the post for 20 years.
