|
|
Scotscraig
Admiral W H Maitland-Dougall
© 1999, Douglas MacKenzie - All rights reserved |
The first hole at Scotscraig is known as 'The Admiral' and refreshments are provided in the Maitland-Dougall lounge. Both take their names from Admiral W H Maitland-Dougall. A notable character, and a very good golfer, he is famous for several things, though being an admiral is not one of them.
Born 3 July 1819 as W H Maitland he added the Dougall after marrying Miss
Dougall of Scotscraig in 1851. He joined the Royal Navy in 1832 and was a Lieutenant on the Hyacinth. Served in the China station as lieutenant on the Wellesley and sustained a fractured skull at Amoy. Made Commander in 1842 and in 1846 commanded Electra on the North America and West Indies stations.
In 1847 he was invalided ashore (which gave him plenty of opportunity to play golf) and retired in 1879 as a Vice Admiral. Thereafter he became Manager of the Mars Training Ship, a half penal half educational institute for boys in the River Tay off Dundee and Director of the Dundee Sailors' Home.
Maitland-Dougall was instrumental in reforming the Scotscraig club under its original name in 1887. At a meeting in the Templars' Hall in Tayport he was elected Captain and presented the Golf and Silver medals of the old club to be played for by the members.
The Scotscraig club was first founded in 1817 but, by 1834, the course had been ploughed up and the members contested the club's Golf Medal over the links at St Andrews. The Autumn meeting in 1860 was being played on a very stormy day. A vessel was in distress in St Andrews bay and the lifeboat was a crew member short. Maitland-Dougall, due to play in the Medal, took the stroke oar and was out at sea in the lifeboat for five hours. He then returned to the Medal competition, added a little buckshot to weight the ball, and shot 112 to win the Gold Medal. Between 1852 and 1863 he also won ten of the club competitions at the Panmure club on the other side of the Tay.
The club merged with Newport Golf Club in 1890 which, with the increase in membership, merited the building of a new clubhouse in 1896. In 1904 the course was extended to 18 holes and, after 1923, when the members bought the ground, improvements were made under the supervision of James Braid resulting in, largely, the course you can play today.
|
|
|
| Golf Courses |
Panmure Golf Club
Scotscraig Golf Club
St Andrews - Old Course
|
|---|
|
|
