1.
The Club was formed as an off-shoot from the Hydro Board Social Club. Initially
called the Golf Section.
2.
Originally, and for some years thereafter, called the HYDROBOARD GOLF CLUB.
First captain - J.A. (Jim) Anderson, originally from Gala and an ex LADHOPE
G.C. Captain and TORWOODLEE member. Jimmy Still was elected as the first Secretary
: ex TURNHOUSE and MURRYFIELD G.C.
3.
The members used to get every other Saturday morning off, and so there were
many wrangles or swaps so that the HB Golf members could attend meetings (One
could get on courses on Sats. in these days!)
4.
A few club members had cars in the late 40s/early 50s and the members
used to share petrol costs when travelling to darkest Fife. The big trouble
with a car was getting petrol coupons as the fuel was still rationed at that
time ("POOL PETROL" only)
5.
The first Summer Outing was to Carnwath - by rail! The members got one free
ticket if they booked eight seats. They managed it - just! John Rust won First
Prize - a propelling pencil!
6.
Register House was the first club match. The HYDROBOARD won!
7.
Most of the outings were in the summer evenings, at Swanston and Torphin Hill
which is why HB members developed a third leg! These matches usually comprised
of "Engineers vs the Rest", or "Accounts vs the Rest"
8.
One outing to Royal Musselburgh (evening) was delayed at the start by a rainstorm,
and the final match putted out with matches and cig. lighters being lit (TRUE!
They don't make them like that nowadays!)
9.
The first match against SSEB was on Gullane No.1, where the cost of playing
was extortionately high - they were charged 5/- per player. So the match was
made a fourball! Just to get their moneysworth!!
10.
The early Matchplay Championship was decided on handicap when players started
X holes up on the first tee. One such game was with Jim Anderson versus Dougie
Brown who started 13 up. Dougie (about a 25/26 handicapper) proceeded to have
a dream start with 2 or 3 miraculous fours and Jim Anderson reported the next
morning by saying "I've been beaten out in the country many times, but
this is the first time I've shaken hands on the 4th green!". The format
changed to using stroke index the following year.
11.
In the first or second year of the Club a levy of 2/6d (HALF-A-CROWN to you
young lads - or 12.5p of today's illegal money) per member was organised.
A sweep was then run on the "Open", with half of the kitty going
to 1st, 2nd and 3rd; the other half of the kitty going to Club funds. As a
result of these fund-raising exercises there was enough cash to buy the first
trophies. The Summer Cup, and a smaller replica cup were purchased at 8 guineas
and 4 guineas respectively. However Walker & Hall (Jewellers in those
days at Sth. St. David St.) were chiselled to a reduction if both trophies
were bought together. They came down in price to 7 guineas and £3-17-6d
each. The first Summer Cup was won by Dougie Brown.
12.
Jim Anderson presented the Captain's Putter about the same time, and proceeded
to win it the first time it was competed for (at Ratho Park). The smaller
replica cup (to the Summer Cup) was awarded to the winner of the Spring meeting
and the Captain's Putter to the Autumn meeting.
13.
Jimmy Still left the Hydro Board in the early 50's to take up full-time test
flying - he'd previously been a Flight Commander in No.603 (City of Edinburgh)
Squadron - hence his connection with Turnhouse G.C. and that ended his official
spell as Secretary. He was succeeded by Charlie Main - Merchants G.C., who
later informed Jimmy that the Club was still short of a Matchplay Trophy.
This leads on to...
14.
In 1953 Jimmy Still was scheduled to deliver to the Venezulan Air Force, their
first Canberra
made by his Company - English Electric. As the meteorological conditions were
ripe that summer, the Company asked Jimmy to have a go at the Atlantic speed
record, with Federation Aeronautique Internationale
(FAI) monitoring. The Canberra broke the record with great ease. Later
that year Jimmy was presented with a trophy - a model Canberra - at the Royal
Aero Club - as a memento of the record occasion; and he was about to go back
to his table and large gin and tonic when he was called back and given a special
award by Williamson's - the then leading aero-camera company whose photographic
equipment was installed in every Canberra bomber and photo reconnaisance aircraft.
The award was a model eagle. Williamsons used the eagle as its symbol, with
the logo in "ads" as "the Eagle eye of Williamson's"!
The eagle was cast in a special white brass, and in its heyday really looked
like a golden eagle. However cleaning became a chore so Jimmy decided to have
it silver-plated and handed over to Charlie Main for competition as the "Wings
Trophy".
Other
Early Prominent Members
John
Rust, Ray McIlwraith, Bill Thomson, A.N.Ferrier, Gordon Auchinachie, Sandy
Melville, D.G. Robertson, Scott Mathieson, George Herculson, A. Venters, Dougie
Provan, Dave Taylor, Raymond Gay, Gordon Wallace, Dougie Brown, G. Mochan
and D. Anderson.
