Open Search -

Like us on Facebook


Course Atlas -

Course Atlas


Please consider supporting our efforts.

Amount: 


Prestwick St Ninians Golf Club, South Ayrshire. (1912 - 1950s)

First appeared in 1912 it was originally located at Prestwick Toll between Heathfield Road and Crandleyhill Road.

Following WW2 the club moved and used the former course of the Prestwick St Nicholas Ladies, the St Ninians club eventually closed in the mid 1950s.

Thanks to Alasdair Malcolm for the following information regarding the eventual closure of the club and course:

“The land on which the course was laid out (the former Ladies St Nicholas course) was leased from four owners. Some of the land was lost in 1953 when the owners declined to renew the lease. It is safe to assume that this was when the course reduced from 18 to 9-holes.

In 1958 there were further issues concerning lease renewals, as two of the owners had their eye on developing the land for housing. As a consequence the course was likely to be reduced from 9 to 4 holes. The town council made moves to have a compulsory purchase order put on the land in order that the nine hole course could remain. This went to a public enquiry and found in favour of the council, but the decision was overturned by the Secretary Of State and the course closed that year. Housing was later built on the land that had reverted to the owners on expiry of the leases.

The council did take responsibility for some of the land on which the course stood, retaining the leisure use for the land, although sadly not as a golf course. The land now houses football pitches, an indoor bowling rink, indoor/outdoor tennis facilities, a swimming pool and a cricket pitch, with the cricket club using the former golf clubhouse as their club premises.”

Sunday golf permitted in 1947.

 

Prestwick St Ninian,s Golf Club, Ayrshire. Sunday golf permitted in 1947.

Kilmarnock Herald and North Ayrshire Gazette Friday 27 June 1947. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

Golf to cease in 1953.

 

Prestwick St Ninian's Golf Club, Ayrshire. Golf to cease in 1953.

Daily Record Wednesday 25 March 1953.Image © Reach plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

 

Prestwick St Ninians Golf Club, Ayrshire. The St Ninians clubhouse.

The St Ninians clubhouse.

 

Prestwick St Ninians Golf Club, Ayrshire. On the first tee.

On the first tee at St Ninians.

 

Prestwick St Ninians Golf Club, Ayrshire. The original 1912 layout.

The original nine hole layout when the course opened in 1912.

 

Prestwick St Ninians Golf Club, Ayrshire. The 18 hole course layout.

The course was extended to 18 holes in 1929 but gradually disappeared as housing demand grew and more land was required for building. The course in essence ceased to exist prior to the renaming of the ladies' course in 1949. The St Ninians maps above are of the original course at the Toll.

 

Many thanks to Henry Ferns and  Willie Rae for the following:

Memories of St Ninians from Henry R Ferns. “St Ninians was a municipal course owned and maintained by Prestwick Burgh Council. Originally it had two courses; an 18 hole early course at Prestwicck Toll, it moved after WW2 to the former Prestwick Ladies 9-hole course which was commonly called "The Ladies Course”. The latter was in use until the early to mid 1950s. It was then sold to various housing developers. My house is sited on one of the old fairways. Much of the larger course was also used for private house building though a large area was developed into a large leisure area with football pitches, a cricket pitch, tennis courts and a children’s play area. The course was much underplayed as the town had 3 private clubs and 3 municipal courses in nearby Ayr. Also, Troon is only three miles to the north”

Further reminiscences on St Ninians from Willie Rae. “I was a member of St Ninians joining in 1946. I played for a few years until the course was shut down. It had a driving range for a short time run by professional Fred Bullock. Two cups that were played for The Boyd and the Gilmore (I think) I won one and was runner-up in the other. The course was fairly short and had no water for the greens”.

 

Prestwick St Ninians Golf Club, Ayrshire. Location of the former golf course.

Location of the former St Nicholas Ladies 18 hole course, the later St Ninians reduced 9 hole course.