Glenralloch golf course will celebrate centenary in 2026
Tarbert Golf Club will celebrate its centenary in 2026 – at least the 100th anniversary of it being on its present site at Glenralloch.
The club had two previous sites within the village before it opened at Glenralloch on June 26 1926.
Now the club is hoping that anyone with any memorabilia, information, old news paper cuttings and photographs will come forward to allow it to compile a history of the club in time for the centenary celebrations.
Peter Bates put out an appeal on social media, explaining: “Tarbert Golf Club has the original minute books going back 100 years but are lacking photographs, newspaper reports, press cuttings etc.
“Also missing is this information on the two previous courses and as to why they closed after such a short time.”
The first nine-hole course existed from 1898 to 1906 on Stonefield Estate, near Barfad, alongside the shore of Loch Fyne.
There is a piece in the Scotsman from 1898 which tells of the opening of the course, described as “one of the best inland courses in the country”.
It was opened by Lady Ileene Campbell “in the presence of a representative gathering of golfers and the general public”.
A match was played between Tarbert and Lochgilphead golfers – and it was clear Tarbert needed their own course to practise on as the Lochgilphead golfers won every game!
The second course was to the east of the town, overlooking East Loch Tarbert, behind the Columba Hotel and towards High Park and was replaced by today’s course.
The Campbeltown Courier on May 12 1906 mentions “an interesting move afoot at Tarbert for laying out of a golf course” with a number of “local gentlemen” raising the financial guarantee for “a 10 year lease of land belonging to Colonel Campbell of Stonefield”.
Then in the May 19 1907 edition it states that it is “taking definite shape” with an initial nine greens being pegged out “on the hill behind the houses between the pier and the village”.
On June 1 1908, the course was opened with the first competition played for the Ainsworth Medal which was won by Mr J S Cavalier with 100(9)-91; second was Captain H H Webber (Scratch) 94 and Rev J M Menzies (Scratch) 94.
Local memory records that it started at the Columba Hotel and finished at the Tarbert Hotel, ideal for the thirsty golfer. It is not known for how long it existed.
The club appears in the Golfing Annuals until 1914 but is not in 1916 or thereafter, so it must be assumed that it closed with the onset of WW1 - or perhaps the lease on the land ran out.
Peter is looking for anyone with information to send it to batesdunivaig@sky.com
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