FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO ONE OF LANARKSHIRE'S FINEST COURSES
COURSE HISTORY
Carnwath Golf Club enjoys a rich history and has some fascinating connections to barony, military and golfing heritage. Having celebrated our Centenary in 2007, golf has been played at Carnwath for approaching 120 years.
The foundations of the Course we enjoy today started with a ‘9 hole course’ that was laid out by Mr William 'Willie' Auchterlonie, an Open champion, coveted club maker and contributor to the Jubilee Course layout in St Andrew’s famous Links collection. Following completion, the course was formally opened in front of sizeable crowds by Lady Hilda Lockhart, the wife of Sir Simon MacDonald Lockhart, Honorary President of the Club and Laird of the Lee Estates, on 29th June 1907.
Carnwath Golf Course is a delightful, mature course with both parkland and heathland features. The course is situated on two pieces of land called ‘Gallow Hill’ and 'Moat Park', to the west of the village of Carnwath, creating a unique golfing experience. In 1907, the course was much different to what we know today, though original features have been carefully protected and have survived the course of time.
The course was finally extended to 18 holes in May 1922 after consultation with original architect, Auchterlonie. By 1936 Carnwath Golf Club was visited by more than 3,000 golfers annually and was considered as good a test of golf as any in Lanarkshire. With the acquisition of a further 20 acres south of the course, it's layout was again redesigned by Gordon MacLeod Clark, then Club Champion with connections to founders of the Club. The new layout opened in July 1963 and with minor modern reworks, it remains a stern test of accuracy for golfers of all abilities to this day.
The club crest bears a silhouette of Carnwath Motte, a man-made defensive mound built by the Somerville family, on which a lookout tower stood in the 12th century. The motte was built to defend an old ford that was once the only crossing of the Carnwath Burn, another prominent feature of our course. The ‘Roundel’, which shares its name with the courses opening hole, is still a visible feature of the course, located directly behind the first green. The Antlers that surround the crest were added in 2016 to represent the vast wildlife you will often see when playing the course and visiting the surrounding area. Many holes are also named after local farmland, such as 2 - The Yett or 14 - Burnhouse, and represent the ties to our rural community.
Close to the Motte, once standing in place of the current Clubhouse, is the site of Carnwath House, which is thought to have dated back to the 16th Century. Since Couthalley Castle was besieged and partially destroyed in 1557, it's likely that at this time Carnwath House was built. Unfortunately due to spiralling maintenance costs, the current clubhouse replaced it in the 70s.
Despite the rural setting of the Golf Club, it is easily accessible from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, making it a popular venue for visitors. In 1922, visitors could play for just 1 shilling and sixpence and over the years the Club has developed a reputation renowned for welcoming hospitality and great value golf. Today, the staff and members make visits equally pleasant and enjoyable.
COURSE RECORD
Our Course Record stood at 63 for over 20 years, set by past Member and Record Holding Club Champion Stevie Callan. Stevie's longstanding record was broken during Rnd 1 of the 2016 Lady Lockhart De Robeck Open, as Gordon Yates of Dalziel Park Golf Club made 10 Pars and 8 Birdies on his way to a magnificent 62.
Our record of 62 was equaled in 2019 by our Club Champion for that year, Craig Forbes, who scored 62 in the first round on his way to securing the title.
CLUB CREST
Our club crest has evolved somewhat since the Club was founded in 1907. The first official crest was a simple crossed clubs and is known to have dated to ~1940's.
It evolved in the late 80's / early 90's with the advent of IT, as the Club aimed to include features of the Course in the crest following a competition in the local School.
In 2016 our club crest evolved to what we now officially recognise a the Club's identity, drawn by longstanding Member, Andrew Lewis. It retains traditions of the retired crests and provides a more manageable solution for the Club.
The new 'Club Crest' bears a more recognisable silhouette of 'Carnwath Motte', a man-made defensive mound with ditch surrounding, on which a lookout tower stood in the 12th century. The ‘Roundel’, which shares its name with the courses opening hole, is still a visible feature of the course, located directly behind the first green.
The Antlers were added to surround the crest and represent the vast wildlife you will often see when playing the course and visiting the surrounding area.
The colours of gold and black tie back to the original club crest, with accompanying navy tartan as a nod to the blue found on previous iterations of the crest in the 80s / 90s.
