Rif Clarke’s interest in golf saw him drive beyond the fairways of his local club and into local libraries.
For the last six years he has been researching the history of the sport in Muir of Ord.
The retired South African businessman settled in the area 16 years ago after leaving Cape Town.
He has now completed an e-book history of the Muir of Ord Golf Club, the first such record of one of the oldest clubs in Scotland.
Hours spent in libraries
Rif, 69, joined Muir of Ord Golf Club more than 10 years ago and is a past member of the club council.
He started the project before the pandemic struck and continued his research during lockdown.
“I spent many an hour in the libraries at Dingwall and Inverness before the pandemic and then accessed the online newspaper archives at the British Library.
“I have enjoyed taking on the task of researching the history of the club and I am grateful for the support from former captain Hamish Milne.”
The course dates from 1875 and Rif sourced early maps of Muir of Ord, including the Market Stance area where the original nine holes were created.
It was discovered that the 13th green is constructed on the site of a scheduled ancient monument, known as Castle Hill Henge, or fort.
The book, with a foreword by Lord Lovat, also looks into the golfing boom of the late 19th century, when courses popped up in towns and villages across the region.
“A key player in the creation of many of these courses – some of which, like Beauly, have long gone – was Inverness police chief Alexander Machardy, who is regarded as a pioneer of golf in the Highlands,” said Rif.
“He had transferred to Inverness from Dornoch and was a founder and the first captain of the Inverness Golf Club, which actually began playing at Muir of Ord.
Course ‘equal to St Andrews’
As the Press and Journal reported on November 15 1883, a “meeting of gentlemen” was held in the Caledonian Hotel in Inverness to set up the golf club.
Mr Machardy told the gathering Lord Lovat had offered the use of land at Muir of Ord for the course “which would be equal to that of St Andrews”.
Two subsequent captains also had a great influence on the development of golf at Muir of Ord.
Alexander Birnie was a tenant of the farm Wellhouse in Beauly, and Thomas Mackenzie was headmaster at Mulbuie and later at Conon Bridge.
A feature of the course is the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and Wick railway line which runs through it.
It’s connection to the legendary Scots course architect James Braid who visited in the 1920s also still draws golfing enthusiasts.
“Braid tinkered with bunkers on some of the original holes and mapped out the plans for expanding the course to 18 holes when land became available from the Lovat family on the other side of the railway line.”
Muir of Ord is one of the Highland clubs on the James Braid Highland Golf Trail set up to highlight the courses in which he was involved.
In 2018 it hosted the Scottish Left-handed Championships.
The golf club is already planning to celebrate the course’s 150th anniversary in 2025.
“Muir of Ord Golf Club – A Success Story”, priced £9.99, can be found here and here.
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