Course of a Century 1896-1996
Impact of War
To begin with the War had very little impact on the Club affairs, the never ending trench warfare being the only demand when conscription was introduced in 1916. It must have been an agonising time as more and more of the young men from the town left home, many never to return again.
The Club Treasurer, Major Innes was the officer in charge of the local Volunteers Company and in 1917 he was given permission to erect a bayonet fighting stand on the course.
By 1918 the War was beginning to turn in the Allies favour, but even so the country was having great difficulty meeting the needs of the population and every piece of land was required for cultivation particularly for cereals.
The County Food Production Committee called for the proprietor of the Estate, Mr Eadie, to allow the course to be brought into cultivation. This he acceded to and in negotiation with the Golf Club he granted a new lease of the course for 6 years for cropping and the rent was fixed at 15 shillings per acre. This would have amounted to £24 per year as against the £34 previously.
On Friday, 23 February 1918 fifty ploughs descended on the course and by evening the whole of the Fittie field had been ploughed up. The higher part of the course was left as grazing and continued to be sub-let. The club contributed to the day by the Ladies providing lunch and tea to those employed. A formal record of thanks is recorded in the minute book to Mrs Watt, Mrs Dr Grant and Mrs R Gray for their help.
The annual subscription for the foreseeable future was fixed at 2 shillings and an overdraft was arranged with the North of Scotland and Town and County Banks for £100.
An agriculture committee was formed who immediately purchased 18 quarters of corn for sowing.
In September the crop was sold to Mr James Leslie for £33 and Dr Grant kindly offered his tractor and binder to harvest the crop.
Even though the War was to end in November continuing food shortage meant that a similar crop was required in 1919 and this was duly advertised for sale in the Northern Scot and Dufftown News on 16 September.
By early 1920 it was known that the food crisis was over and the land could revert to a golf course again, a meeting was advertised to be held in the Burgh Chambers on 5 March 1920 of all members of the club and those interested in the game of golf.
It was reported that the club had a balance of some £43 and the meeting unanimously expressed itself in favour of making every endeavour to get the course ready at an early date.
Office bearers were elected:
- President - Rev J B Cumming
- Captain - Mr Robert Gray
- Vice Captain - Mr J B Macdonald
- Treasurer - Major Innes
- Joint Secretaries - Mr A Mitchell and Jas A Thomson
The council elected was:
- Father Shaw
- James Watt
- A C Mitchell
- W F Troup
- A D Angus
- George Mair
Rates of subscriptions fixed were:
- Gents - 15 shillings
- Ladies - 10 shillings
- Apprentices - 7 shillings and 6 pence
- Visitors - 2 shillings per day, 5 shillings per week
- Locker rent - 2 shillings and 6 pence
It was agreed to have a Memorial Card inserted in the Clubhouse recording the names of those members who had fallen in the War. Sadly this Memorial to those never to return and see the hills of Dufftown again, is lost, and we have no other Club record of this great tragedy.
Work to reinstate the course started immediately, surface stones were raked to one side, mole hills spread and the course rolled. By 14 April 1920 the course had been almost prepared and the greenkeeper was instructed to mark out the course ready for sowing grass seed. A notice was to be put in the Clubhouse that no dogs are allowed on the golf course, this rule to be strictly enforced.
Nothing more is recorded and it can only be presumed that by mid May there would have been sufficient growth of grass for the course to be fairly playable. In March 1921 it was arranged that some local boys would be employed to gather up the loose stones for removal and to be paid 2 shillings and 6 pence per day. A month later the Boy Scouts were to be approached to see if they could also help, something that was to be repeated in the 1950s following reinstatement of the course after the Second World War.
At the end of April 1921 Mr Lyon was employed as Golf Course Keeper at 1 shilling and 3 pence per hour for the season. On 11 May the course was reopened with a match between teams selected by the Captain and Vice-Captain.
Despite the fact that little golf had been played for several years, all the Ladies and Gents were allocated handicaps, and once again the players could return to the pleasures of social and competitive golf.
Handicap Lists
