Eye on Millig- Hotel started the Tarbet course

Commissioned by Tarbet Hotel Co., a course of nine holes was laid out to the designs of Willie Fernie of Troon, and the formal launch of Arrochar and Tarbet Golf Club took place the following year.

The local newspaper reported: “Of the number of golf clubs and golf courses, there is no end. The North British Railway’s timetable mentions 120 reached by their system alone.

“The latest is Arrochar and Tarbet Golf Club, initiated at a meeting held recently at Tarbet Hotel. There was a good attendance and the club was started with over 50 members.

“A course was laid out a year ago. The greens are already in fine condition, with several equal to any to be found locally, and by drainage and other improvements, the ground is now being steadily improved.

“The course is situated amid a beautiful environment. Fernie said it would be a ‘nice little tricky course’.”

The officebearers elected were captain, Barclay Henry, Arrochar; vice-captain, Harold Hedderwick, Auchendarroch, Tarbet; hon secretary and treasurer, Dr Salmon, Tarbet House.

Guests at the hotel played free of charge, although it contributed £12 annually to club funds.

Shortly afterwards, an exhibition match was played between Willie Fernie and Tom Turnbull, the professional at Helensburgh.

The first round saw Fernie 2 up — Fernie 46 shots, Turnbull 50 — but the second round saw a complete turnaround, with Turnbull making a dramatic comeback to square the match. The final score was Turnbull 90, Fernie 92.

A report in the local paper stated: “Few seem aware of a quite sporting little nine-hole golf course at Tarbet.”

The excellent Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui Heritage Group website carries many interesting details of the club at this formative period, along with historic photographs.

As with so many small golf courses, the First World War signalled a period of neglect, and while the course survived, essential momentum had been lost. It is thought that the course was closed around 1921.

Possibly a contributory factor here was the departure in 1922 of the Misses Walker, who were acclaimed for many years of good management of Tarbet Hotel.

The people of Arrochar and Tarbet displayed resilience, however, and by the mid 1930’s another course was in operation.

The new course was located at the Arrochar end of the isthmus, and extended to a point close to the Parish Hall, later the site of Arrochar Outdoor Centre, and now an Army Cadet Training Centre. Club business was transacted at the Parish Hall.

In 1937, the officebearers were hon president Sir Iain Colquhoun; hon vice-presidents Captain R.G. Black, Ardmay, John Galbraith, Arrochar Hotel, and Campbell Henderson, Teighness Temperance Hotel.

The chairman was William Marshall, Schoolhouse; hon secretary and treasurer Miss R.Atkinson; hon assistant secretary J.Anderson; and captain J.M.Reid.

On the committee were Mrs A.McCallum, Mrs Dewie, Miss McKinlay, Miss McNiven, T.H.Campbell, S.McCrorie, P.Cumming, M.McDonald, and H.McDougall.

That the club was thriving was borne out by the programme of events during this period.

For example in May 1937, the monthly competition saw A.McDonald, who was playing from scratch, complete a round of 65, when he beat M.McGourlay, whose handicap of 24 brought him a net score of 83.

McDonald broke the course record, which of course entailed a double round to make up the 18 holes. The mixed foursomes resulted in T.H.Campbell and Miss J.Crawford beating M.Crawford and Miss J.Henderson.

The following month, as well as these same competitions, there was also the Galbraith Cup, played over 72 holes, when T.H.Campbell came out on top with a net score of 137 off a handicap of 9. Second was M.McDonald, and third was R.Gould.

There was also the Fletcher Cup for ladies, with Mrs Horn winning with a score of 167 off a 40 handicap, and Miss C.McKinlay the runner-up with her score of 182, off scratch.

The club played many inter-club matches, and in July 1937, the competition between home side Arrochar and Tarbet against Shandon saw the former win by 4 matches and a half to Shandon’s 3 matches and a half.

Despite this very encouraging picture, the dead hand of war once more came into play in 1939, and the club seems to have been a victim.

While clubs located in bigger population centres were often able to continue in wartime, small rural clubs were always liable to struggle.

The people of Arrochar and Tarbet, however, stand out as a community determined to bounce back, and a new club took up the reins once more in 1947.

Details are scanty but almost certainly the course itself was similar to the pre-war facility. Meetings were held again at the Parish Hall.

An official guide to Dunbartonshire, produced around 1950, makes reference to a “good golf course near the railway station”.

An insight into club affairs at this stage was provided by the Rev. Iain Reid, author of the Arrochar chapter in the Third Statistical Account of Scotland (1952).

He wrote: “A portion of Tarbet Farm on the south side of the road, and opposite the Parish Hall, has been made over to the local Golf Club, and a very fair nine-hole golf course has been constructed.

“There are not many members, and they find it difficult to keep the course in good condition by voluntary labour.”

The tone of foreboding in Mr Reid’s analysis seems to have been borne out by events, for the record of meetings of the Golf Club at the Parish Hall, kindly checked by local historian Mary Haggarty, show that the last one was held in June 1952.

A further valiant effort to preserve golf at Arrochar and Tarbet was made at the start of 1959. A steering committee was formed, with the local GP, Dr John Mackintosh, as president, and Commander Bayliss as treasurer.

Their hope was that the old golf course of 1904 could be resuscitated, and Tarbet Hotel indicated it would make the land available free of charge.

A great deal of lobbying for support was carried out, there was much enthusiasm, and fund-raising events, such as dances, were held to help raise funds.

It became clear, however, that there was not a lot of capital, and it was evident that a lot of site preparation would have to be done by voluntary labour. Even so, it was hoped to have the course ready by May 1959.

But matters did not work out as planned, and meetings and fund-raising events ceased in 1961 — the dreams unfulfilled.

The keen Arrochar golfer is not easily thwarted however. One such was Jock Campbell of the well-known railway family, and in the early 1960’s, he was a frequent sight on the road to Helensburgh, riding his small motorbike with a huge bag of clubs strapped firmly to his back.

Local golfers may have had their hopes raised again in 1977, when Luss Estates revealed plans to construct an 18-hole course between Arrochar and Tarbet.

The course was to be long and narrow, with a few ups and downs, but it was not intended to be of championship standard.

The project received a boost the next year, when planning permission was granted by Dunbarton County Council, but the project never came to fruition.

Further down Loch Lomondside, Luss was a late starter, the ambitions for a club and course being announced in the autumn of 1906, when a concert in aid of a proposed nine hole facility was organised by Lady Colquhoun.

This was held over two evenings, when takings amounted to some £30.

Matters proceeded well, and the course was opened the following year, the start being on the flat ground near the village centre, with players then heading uphill in the direction of Glen Luss, reaching a high point beyond what is now the former Luss Schoolhouse.

The first AGM was held in December 1908 at Luss Public Hall. William Jackson of Camstraddan House, the club captain, was in the chair. The secretary’s report showed the club to be flourishing, while the treasurer announced a favourable balance sheet.

The patron and patroness of the club were Sir Alan and Lady Colquhoun respectively.

The officebearers were: captain, William Jackson, Camstraddan House; vice-captain, Alexander M.Thom, Glenmollachan; secretary, Alexander Forsyth, teacher; treasurer, Charles Murdoch, Mason, Luss.

On the committee were the Rev Alexander S.Dunlop; Messrs John and James McNab, Luss Hotel; Robert Milne; Peter McFarlane, Row of Luss; and James Dempster, Culag.

By 1910, a regular series of events had been developed. In January, the Captain’s Rose Bowl competition saw the final being played between John McKellar of Luss village and Donald McCallum, the latter claiming victory by two holes.

In March, the Monthly Gold Medal competition the First Class category winner was Walter McDiarmid Snr, a Luss boatman, whose double round net score of 86 came off a handicap of 15. Winner of the Second Class was John Cairns of Aldochlay, off 20, who carded a 99.

In June, there was a competition for a medal presented by William McKean of Thistle Cottage, Craignahullie and Rowardennan. This was won over a single round by Robert D. Milne of Luss Hotel, off scratch, with a score of 40.

In August, what was described as a ‘highly successful’ concert in aid of the club was held at the Public Hall.

Sir Iain Colquhoun presided over a full house. Songs were provided by Mrs Davie, Mrs Lang, Miss Douglas Dick, Miss Dunsmore and Messrs Forsyth, Meighan and Crawford. This was followed by a dance.

In September 1912, a concert was held in aid of the club. However at the event the chairman, the Rev Alexander Dunlop, explained that it had been found necessary to abandon the course.

He said that the club was being wound up because of the continuing difficulties in securing the necessary funds, the smallness of the population being a factor. The proceeds of the concert would be used to pay off liabilities. That was the end of Luss Golf Club — a good example of where enthusiasm can only go so far when the resident population is just too small to sustain a facility like a golf course.

It was probably scant consolation for local golfers when a putting green was opened in 1927 behind the Public Hall. It was designed by Henry Lamond, secretary of Loch Lomond Angling Association, well-known as the author of books about the loch.

Golf did of course come back to Rossdhu, just south of Luss, with the opening in 1993 of the Loch Lomond golf course.

Designed in a stunning location by top American golfer Tom Weiskopf, the course is consistently ranked among the top 100 in the world, and is about as different from the original course at Luss as could be imagined.

It is aimed very much at the international market.

Despite the universal acclaim and prestige, however, it has suffered much financial difficulty in the wake of the 2008 banking crisis, although the situation is said now to be improving.

The pix show the course at Tarbet, and Sandy Rhind driving off at Arrochar in the 1940s.

email: milligeye@btinternet.com