Renfrew Golf Club is based in
Renfrew
Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former ...
, Scotland. It is situated in the Blythswood Estate, near to the
River Cart
The River Cart ( sco, River Cairt) is a tributary of the River Clyde, Scotland, which it joins from the west roughly midway between the towns of Erskine and Renfrew and opposite the town of Clydebank.
The River Cart itself is very short, being f ...
and the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
.
History
The club was established on 28 September 1894. A group of wealthy businessmen from Renfrew and
Govan
Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...
held a meeting and subsequently leased land from Speirs of Elderslie Estates. The course was opened on 22 October 1894 by Andrew Brown, Provost of Renfrew. It was originally a nine-hole course at Haining Road and was extended by
James Braid in 1920 to eighteen holes and a par of 73. This made the course the longest in the West of Scotland at that time. A club house was opened on 20 May 1925.
A demand for housing in the area led to the club giving up the lease on the land at Haining Road. It was acquired by Ravenstone Securities Ltd, headed by chairman
Reo Stakis. As part of the deal Ravenstone would provide 105 acres of land at Blythswood Estate for a new course to be built. On 29 September 1973 the new course at Blythswood was opened by James T Douglas, President of the
Scottish Golf Union
Scottish Golf is the Sport governing body, governing body for Amateur sports, amateur golf in Scotland. It was formed in 2015 as a merger between the Scottish Golf Union, the governing body for men, and the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association, t ...
.
The course has played host to several tournaments including the
Scottish Amateur Championship
The Scottish Amateur is the national amateur match play golf championship of Scotland. It has been played since 1922 and is organised by the Scottish Golf Union. It is a "closed" event with entry currently restricted to those who were either bor ...
in 1984 and 1994. The European Boys Team Championship 1988 and the Sunderland of Scotland Masters 1991 were held at Renfrew. In 2000 and 2004 the course was used for the Scottish Regional Qualifiers for
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...
.
See also
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Golf in Scotland
Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the Scottish late Middle Ages, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness.
The Royal and Ancient Golf ...
*
History of golf
The origins of golf are unclear and much debated. However, it is generally accepted that modern golf developed in Scotland from the Middle Ages onwards. The game did not find international popularity until the late 19th century, when it spread int ...
References
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Golf clubs and courses in Scotland
Sport in Scotland
Sport in Renfrewshire
Renfrew