19th Century Agitation

It is significant that the earliest proposals to form a new golf club in the town occurred in the early 1880s. At this time the popularity of golf and its spread throughout the country was such that the game started to attract developers and entrepreneurs. Clubs with fine clubhouses providing facilities comparable with the finest gentlemen’s clubs in the city were becoming commonplace, all more or less modelled on the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews.

It is also significant that the development of golf had brought a new popularity to the ancient city. St Andrews had become one of the county’s principal resorts for the health conscious Victorians and the town experienced something of an economic boom in consequence.

Although there were twelve golf clubs, the towns’ golfers had no clubhouse. Clubs met in bars or church halls, according to affiliation and inclination. Medals were played on fixed days in the month known to all: cards collected at fixed times and places and the annual dinner and presentation of prizes was often the only time in the year that the members came together.

There can be little doubt that the success of the Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club in acquiring not only its own course but also in building a clubhouse, was an inspiration to the movement gathering in St Andrews to erect a clubhouse. Tom Morris had been instrumental in the formation of the St Nicholas Club and his son-in-law, James Hunter, had been club champion. When Hunter came to reside in St Andrews his friends and regular playing partners emerged as the principal promoters of a clubhouse for the townspeople. Hunter, Pirie, Stenhouse and Bethune played regularly in St Andrews and Prestwick. Bethune was a member of the R&A but Pirie and Stenhouse were not. They would doubtless be dissatisfied with the after-golf facilities available to them in the town and impressed with what was available to them in Prestwick. Old Tom Morris, ‘the Nester of golf’ himself also agitated about the fact that the town had no golf clubhouse applying himself to pressuring the Thistle Club to find premises.

Although there was much local talk there was little local action. It took almost thirty years and an in-comer to the town to start concerted action.

Herbert Montague Singer was a man of action. He had come to the town a butler and ended up a property owner with a flourishing boarding house enterprise. He was a popular energetic figure known affectionately as "Monkey Brand’ because of a patent polish whose tin lid bore its trade mark picture of a bewiskered monkey which bore a close resemblance to the mutton-chop whiskered Singer. No golfer of any standing (he played off 25) he was an inveterate organiser. He founded the cycling club as well as the cricket club, ran the fife Golf Association, the Telegraph Cup (precursor of the Scottish Amateur Championship) and was the prime mover in the formation of the Scottish Golf Union. He also found time to design golf clubs and balls with mixed success.

It was this energetic little man who finally managed to get the hotchpotch of golf clubs in St Andrews together in the Royal Hotel early in 1901.

Despite the Odds – The Formation of the Club

The meeting that was held in the Royal Hotel took place against a background of rapid change and rampant optimism in the town. Not only had the New Memorial Cottage Hospital been built but also the Step Rock swimming pool was opened for sea bathing. Forgan’s clubmaking factory was extended and Tom Stewart opened his cleekmaking works. Rapid expansion of the town warranted the building of St Leonards Church as well as a new Baptist Church. The Episcopalians started their expansion in North Castle Street and the Church of Scotland also set about the restoration of Holy Trinity; a seminal kirk of the Scottish Reformation. St Andrews was on the move.

Robert officer, physical education instructor to the University and Captain of the Thistle Golf Club, chaired the Royal Hotel meeting. It achieved little more than accord in the need for a clubhouse, but there was sufficient resolve to form a sub-committee to progress the matter. This committee comprised Herbert Singer, Arthur Aikman, grocer, James Pirie, china merchant, and Colin Donaldson, hatter. Driven by Singer they were active in their endeavour although disagreement between the clubs made for difficulties. Courageously, they took the decision to form a new club.

This ad hoc committee was joined by Edward King, teacher, James Smart, confectioner, and George Fisher, fish merchant, and they set about looking for a property suitable for a clubhouse.

Not surprising, it was Herbert Singer who found the premises. Mrs Margaret Sang, who’s family had the feu of 3 Gibson Place since the 1820 roupe of the Pilmuir links land, was prepared to sell her house for £1300. Mrs Sang gave the committee two weeks to come up with the money or the offer would be withdrawn.
Eschewing the proposal to form a Limited Liability Company a public appeal for funds was made and endorsed by ex-Provost John MacGregor, James Gillespie, architect, Henry Henderson, stationer, and Andrew Aikman, grocer. The Appeal raised £1600 in ten days and 3 Gibson Place was secured. Immediately, a meeting was called of the 100 citizens who had indicated their intention subscribe to the new club. This meeting took place in the Council Chambers on Thursday, 16th February 1902.

Ex-Provost Macgregor chaired the meeting but it was James Gillespie who moved that those who had applied for membership should form themselves into a new club (for the promotion inter alia of the game of golf and the friendly intercourse of all interested therein.) William Grieg, plasterer, seconded the motion which was carried unanimously.

A heated discussion about naming the new club followed. The majority were Thistle Club members who wanted to retain the Thistle name. A proposal was made for The Tom Morris Golf Club, which the great man himself modestly insisted against. Other proposals were shouted down.

It is simply not known who provided the rational that just as the R&A was always referred to as the Old Club, it was inevitable that the new club would always be referred to as the New Club. The motion was put and with reluctant but unanimous accord the new club was named The New Golf Club of St Andrews.

Reflecting the optimism of the times, the objective was set to officially open the New Club to coincide with the Coronation of the new Monarch. Whether for reasons of humour or in recognition of his service to the cause of the Club, the founding Captain of the Club in the Coronation year of King Edward was Edward King.