Dumbarton Golf Club Dunbartonshire

Dumbarton Golf Club, one of the oldest in the West of Scotland, owes its existence largely to the fact that in 1887 a few of the towns illustrious shipbuilding sons holidayed at St Andrews. There, inevitably one might say, they tried their “prentice hands on the Old Course”. Although they had them badly bitten, they returned to the 700 year old Royal Burgh, situated where the Leven meets the Clyde, bent on forming a club of their own.

The site they chose to lay out the original nine holes was far from ideal.

It was on common grazing land, much of which lay in a sweeping loop in the River Leven, and at high tide the water, held back by a broad dyke, rose above the level of the course. In recent years the course has been in great condition all year round with large investments in machinery and management.

Even when the pioneers returned from St Andrews they were a trifle
apprehensive about translating into fact their dreams of constructing a course for the shipyard workers. It is on record that when they launched their scheme they did so “with fear and trepidation” but not without hope that “the King of Games” would find a prominent home in the capital of Lennox(the ancient title of the territory) and that it would prove a blessing to many of its hard worked and exercise needing inhabitants.

And so it was, that despite their misgivings, an artisan club was formed in 1888. The first chairman of the club was Mr James Denny, one of the shipbuilding Denny family of Dumbarton Slowly but surely progress was made and eventually the course was extended to 18 holes.