Helensburgh Golf Club

Helensburgh Golf Club was founded in August 1893 and the original 9 hole layout was in use by October of the same year. One can only wonder about the quality of the greens at that time. The layout was approved by Old Tom Morris for a fee of £1 plus expenses for the day. By 1905, the course had been extended to 18 holes, largely due to the guidance of the club professional, Tom Turnbull, who served the club for 50 years. From the beginning, Helensburgh has been a family club, with a predominantly town membership and the members are drawn from all walks of life. The original Tin hut clubhouse(above), which cost about £350 and had been relocated at least once, was sold to the Vale of Leven Golf Club for £35 in 1910. The present clubhouse was opened in October 1909, by the Duke of Argyll. Major alterations took place in 1965, 1973 and 1997. A recent proposal to build a new clubhouse was shelved but new proposals are brewing . The founding committee included Andrew Bonar Law, who became Prime Minister in 1922