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Symington Golf Club, South Lanarkshire. (1910 - 1920s)

The club first appeared in about 1910.

It survived WW1 and was still appearing until the mid 1920s.

Result of a competition for prizes presented by Sir J E Johnson Ferguson, Bart., of Springkell, was played on 24 May 1913; William Macmillan, 84-8-76; J B Graham, jun., 93-14-79; John Stoddart, 93-14-79.

The annual meeting was held in the clubhouse on 10 April 1914, William K Jackson, president, in the chair. The total funds at the club's disposal was £20/13s which was considered satisfactory. The following officers were elected; President, Rev John M Millar; vice-president, John McInnes, Glenburn; captain, William K Jackson, Broomlands; committee - Mr Brownlie, Mr Gibson, Mr Mason, G Marshall, J Marshall, Mr Spence, Mr Plenderleith and Mr Aitken; joint secretaries, Mr Hamilton and Mr Laing; green-keeper, William Brown. 

Result of the April 1914 medal competition. Winner - Laurence Jackson, 95-20-75; runner-up J McInnes, 83-6-77. 

Below is the result of a match played at Thankerton Golf Club (also now defunct) on Saturday 27 June 1914.

The monthly medal was played on the 4 July 1914 and was won by John Stoddart, 81-7-74.

The final of the President's Medal took place between John McInnes and William K Jackson on Wednesday 8 July 1914, the former won after a close game. 

A competition was played on Saturday the 10th and 17th of July 1915 for a medal presented by Lady W M Johnson-Ferguson, Springkell, in aid of the Queen’s Work for Women Fund, money raised amounted to £2. The winner on the tenth was W Brown, 76 scratch. On the seventeenth J Aiken won with a score of 76-4-72. The final was played on the 26^th and was won by Mr Brown.

A match was played on the Thursday 22 July between the visitors and the locals, result below.

At a general meeting of the Symington Golf Club on Saturday 23 October 1915 it was decided to give £10 out of the club funds to the local work party to assist them in the good work they were doing at the time.

The annual business meeting of the Symington Golf Club was held on Friday 4 April 1916, John McInnes in the chair. The treasurer reported that a balance of £18/2s/6d would be carried and this was considered very satisfactory. The total number of members for last year was a very healthy number of 165. The following office bearers were elected; President, Rev John M Millar U.F; vice-president, John McInnes; captain, William K Jackson, Broomlands; secretary and treasurer, Thomas Laing, Ballgreen; committee – Messrs. Brownlie, Watson, Macnaughton, Anderson, Marshall, Spence, Plenderleith and Aitken. The following additional vice-presidents were also elected; Sir J E Johnson Ferguson, Bart., of Springkell; Major M Thomson-Carmichael of Eastend; William Waugh, St John’s Kirk; John Mann, Woodlands; John Baxter, Birkwood; John M Grierson, Wyndales.

While the Symington Golf Club, above, seemed to be progressing, just up the road, the Tinto Hotel where in the throwes of laying out a course in their grounds:-

On Thursday 13 August 1914 James Braid, accompanied by Mr George Kay of the Tinto Hotel, where in the process of laying out an eighteen-hole golf course. With the exception of two, all the holes were to be over 400 yards in length, the longest being 580 yards. The greens, as well as the course, were to be on a large scale. Report below, apologies for the quality. Clearer report the following week.

Hamilton Advertiser Saturday 15 August. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Dumfries and Galloway Standard Saturday 22 August 1914. Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

With a regular train service it was hoped that the hotel would bring many visitors to the area. The hotel offered all possible amenities; ground floor - dining room, smoking room, serving room, hotel bar, billiard room, ladies’ room, three large lounges and six bedrooms; upper floor – twenty four bedrooms, servant’s wing which included kitchen, scullery, store and two bedrooms.

I have found nothing further as to whether the Tinto Hotel course progressed, any help would be appreciated.

Knew I could rely on Alfie Ward to come up with something, Alfie sent me the following information. " Symington. Club formed 1905. Angle Park as you correctly show on your map. Originally 9-holes, the course was later reduced to 6-holes. W K Jackson was a curling gold medallist at the Olympic games (1920’s ?) and a very accomplished curler in his day. He started an abbatoir in Symington in the 1890s which developed over the years to become the largest sheepmeat exporter in Europe till the company went down in 1982. I worked there for the first 9 years of my working life. WK and his son Lawrence (also mentioned in your research) were both good golfers too ! Angle Park was the property of WK Jackson. We believe the course officially closed just after WW2 or thereabouts.

The Braid course, which was never built, (unfortunately) still hasn’t revealed much detail. I think WW1 put an end to its construction ? It was also linked with the Gleneagles course and the Tinto Hotel may have been touting for the funding which helped build Gleneagles ????? Believe it or not, Leadhills was also linked with funding being put up by the Caledonian railway at this time. Leadhills would have winter sports as an added attraction due to its high location in the Lowther hills !

A time capsule was buried in the foundation stones of the Hotel when it was built which may have contained details of this course ? We couldn’t locate or find the time capsule??? Damn!

Guesstimated location of the proposed Braid course can be seen on the Google Map at the bottom of the page."

Site of the former golf course in Symington. Grid reference NS99450,35535, co-ordinates 299450,635535.