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Daily Record
19-07-2025
- Daily Record
Golf course dubbed 'Scotland's Augusta' lays abandoned with iconic building overcome by nature
Letham Grange in Angus, once regarded as one of the most picturesque golf courses in Scotland, continues to lie in ruins after plans to revive the site were dropped With the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in full swing, another legendary UK course sadly lies derelict. Letham Grange in Angus, north of Arbroath, was once dubbed 'Scotland's Augusta' for its picturesque beauty and likeness to the legendary Masters venue. Designed by Archibald Simpson, the mansion on the site was first built in the 1820s. It was converted into a hotel late in the 20th century. The legendary Henry Cotton attended its opening as a golf club in 1987. It featured two courses, the Old Course and the Glens Course, and quickly gained a lofty reputation for its beauty. However, the club folded in 2019. Since then, plans have been submitted to build 250 new homes, which would have funded the reopening of the course. However, those plans were dropped after opposition from locals, reported The Courier in August 2024. The Taiwanese Liu family, which owns the site, said ploughing a million pounds into a planning application was an 'unsustainable risk' they could not take. The site, which has also hosted curling, remains largely untouched, with windows boarded up and large parts overgrown with weeds. In 2023, a former club member took some pictures of what was left of the site while out cycling. Sharing the images in the Scotland from the Roadside Facebook group, Bob Durnan wrote: "While out cycling today I stopped at my old golf club. It's very sad to see this stunning building falling into disrepair. "I was a member of the golf club for 10 years back in the late 90s, the building was stunning and the course got the nickname 'Scotland's Augusta'. "The curling rink (complete with chandeliers) was used for international events and was the home ground of one of Scotland's curling champions Kelly Wood (Schafer), and in the summer the ice was melted and the room was used as a wedding venue (hence the chandeliers). "We had Christmas parties in the hotel and a friend was married there, oh and the bedrooms were enormous. The victim of an ownership dispute for the past 15 years the building has been left empty and is literally falling to bits. So sad." Fellow group members were also sad to see the site in such a state. One wrote: "Fond memories of this fantastic course. Just waiting for someone to bring it to life again." A second added: "Sad, it was an impressive place to visit and a great golf course." Another said: "Played golf there many a time in the 1980's. So sad to see the state of it now." A fourth added: "Just devastating to look at these pictures! You can tell it must have been beautiful at one time!" Listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Forbes
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Englishman Max Faulkner Wins The Open Championship At Royal Portrush
16 Oct 1947: Great Britain's Ryder Cup golf team: (back row l-r) E Green, A Lees, SL King, Max ... More Faulkner, RW Horne and Commander Roe(Manager) (front row l-r) CH Ward, Fred Daly, Henry Cotton (Capt.) Dai Rees, James Adams. They are pictured at the Mid- Surrey Golf Course, Richmond. Mandatory Credit: Allsport Hulton/Archive Englishman Max Faulkner won the 1951 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, finishing two strokes ahead of the field with a total score of 285. It marked the first time Royal Portrush hosted the Open Championship and the first time the event was held outside the island of Great Britain (England and Scotland), making its debut in Northern Ireland. 'It was all I ever wanted. The Open meant everything to me,' said Faulkner of his historic victory. Faulkner shot rounds of 71-70-70-74 to edge out a surging Antonio Cerdá. The course proved a tough test for the professionals, with just two rounds in the 60s recorded both 68s in the opening round. First-round leaders Jimmy Adams and Norman Von Nida (corrected from "Van Nina") faltered in the second round, each shooting 77. Faulkner was steady over the four days and entered the final round with a six-stroke lead. It's rumored he was signing autographs the night before the final round as 'Max Faulkner Open Champion.' Crowd watch Max Faulkner putting at the Irish Open Golf 08/07/1948 (Part of the Independent ... More Newspapers Ireland/NLI Collection). (Photo by Independent News) Faulkner had prior success at Royal Portrush, having finished third in the 1947 Irish Open. Interestingly, he also held a two-stroke lead entering the final round of that tournament, but it was Harry Bradshaw who ultimately claimed the title. Max was the son of Gus Faulkner, a protégé of famed Open Champion James Braid and head professional at Bramley Golf Club. Max began playing competitive golf at age 17 and reached the round of 16 at the Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament. However, World War II interrupted his early career. During the war, he served in the RAF as a Physical Training Instructor. After the war, Faulkner won his first tournament in 1946 at the Dunlop Southport Tournament by one stroke over Norman Von Nida. He went on to win three tournaments in 1949. Known for his eccentric approach to equipment, Faulkner was believed to own over 300 putters in his lifelong search for the perfect one. He rarely used a conventional set of clubs, often carrying multiple versions of the same club with different shaft lengths and flexes. His reputation as a master shotmaker was well-earned, he could shape shots even with short irons, curving the ball through the air with remarkable control.
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Golfers' dream job opportunity as St Andrews bosses hunt for new staff to ‘keep craft alive'
The company faces challenges with finding and training new staff in the art ABOVE PAR Golfers' dream job opportunity as St Andrews bosses hunt for new staff to 'keep craft alive' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE world's oldest golf club maker says it faces a 'challenge' to find new people to learn the traditional skills and keep the craft alive. St. Andrews Golf Company was established in 1881 and is now Scotland's last remaining golf club manufacturer. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 St. Andrews Golf Company was established in 1881 and is now Scotland's last remaining golf club manufacturer Credit: SWNS 5 The company produces around 2,000 individual clubs per year Credit: SWNS 5 They have a team of three full-time clubmakers and three part-timers Credit: SWNS It is home to three brands - George Nicoll, Tom Stewart, and St. Andrews Golf clubs. Led by chairman Hamish Steedman, the company prides itself on being the last clubmaker in the world to use traditional skills to craft both modern clubs and vintage-style hickory clubs. The company produces around 2,000 individual clubs per year, with a team of three full-time clubmakers and three part-timers. But as staff retire, Hamish says the company faces challenges with finding and training new staff in the art. Hamish, who has been with the company for 25 years, said: "We are the oldest continuous manufacturers in the world. "Our passion to retain the skills and handcraft playable sets of hickory golf clubs makes us unique - we're the last ones really doing that. "We've been undergoing a bit of change recently. "We've been lucky that we've had a very loyal workforce for many years. "Some clubmakers started with George Nicoll when we were based in Dunfermline back in the 60s and 70s, and they've now retired, so we have to find new clubmakers. "You can't go down to the job centre and pick up half a dozen clubmakers - you have to train them and work with them, so that's been a challenge recently." Tiger Woods announces new job with Augusta as five-time Masters champion misses tournament through injury The company ships most of their clubs out internationally, with a large customer base in the United States - and they have crafted clubs for golfing legends, including three time Open champion Henry Cotton, and 1930s Grand Slam victor Bobby Jones. "George Nicoll has exported clubs to every country in the world where golf is played, particularly in the early 50s," said Hamish. "Sometimes they'd be sending out 10,000 sets of clubs a month. "Sir Henry Cotton, who won the Open championship three times, was a lifetime ambassador for George Nicoll. "We are represented globally - around 85% of what we manufacture is exported. "That's the most exciting thing about working in this industry - the people you meet internationally." Hamish, who has a passion for keeping the clubmaking craft alive, has described St. Andrews Golf Company is one of Scotland's "best kept secrets" - but says he is always eager to open the doors to anyone interested to learn more about the trade. "Our doors are open - we're always happy to invite people to the factory to have a look around, and visit our workshop to learn how to grip their own clubs," he said. "I think it's hugely important to keep this craft alive. "We see so many skills being lost for the sake of keeping shareholders happy or trying to improve the bottom line. "But we think there's a balance to be struck and we need to retain some of the traditional skills that have been an important part of our country and our heritage." 5 The company prides itself on being the last clubmaker in the world to use traditional skills to craft Credit: SWNS
