LOOKING FORWARD TO 2013 ? - What was happening in Ayrshire Golf 50 years ago

As we approach 2013, and look forward to another golf season to come, we thought it may be of interest to look back at what was happening in Ayrshire golf 50 years ago.

In 1963, there were considerably fewer clubs in Ayrshire than now and indeed the Ayrshire Golf Association was a fairly new organisation, having been born from the reorganisation of the SGU administration and the break up of the West Area region.

The Ayrshire Strokeplay Championship, which began in 1950, was won in 1963 by Sandy Anderson of Prestwick St Cuthbert.



Lord Leiutenant Sir Geoffrey Hughes-Onslow opened
the new St Cuthbert course and clubhouse in May 1963

The Boys Championship was won by a young R. Leslie Crawford of Caprington who took the title by 2 shots over Donald Cameron (Annanhill). The championship was played that year over one of the oldest and the newest course in Ayrshire at that time, taking place at the Prestwick St Nicholas course which was opened in 1892 and the Prestwick St Cuthbert course in East Road, which was only opened in May 1963, after the club had to vacate their original course to allow for the expansion of Prestwick Airport.





The opening exibition match featured Dai Rees and Peter Aliss
on the right against John Panton & Eric Brown on the left

Thus in 2013, Prestwick St Cuthbert GC celebrate 50 years at their present location at East Road in Prestwick, having moved from the previous course which was situated between Monkton Road and Kirk Street at the North end of the town.





The original Prestwick St Cuthbert course location
from 1899 until 1963

The club intend to mark the occasion with a number of celebration events and will also host a national event with the return of the Scottish Boys Area Team Championship to the course in June for a second time, the last time being in the club Centenary year in 1999.








Back to 1963, and what else was going on in golf in Ayrshire.

As it is now, Ayrshire was a popular venue for national and international events back in 1963.

1963 Scottish Champion
R D B M Shade

The Scottish Amateur Championship visited Troon Golf Club that year and the winner over the old course was the great Ronnie Shade. This win marked the first of his remarkable five Scottish Amateur Championship titles in a row between 1963 & 1967.

In the Amateur Championship played at St Andrews that year, Ayrshire's last hope was John Wilson Jr (Kilmarnock Barassie) who bowed out in the last 32 with a defeat at the 19th hole.

The Walker Cup was played at Turnberry in 1963 and it was the USA who took the title with a 12 - 8 win over Great Britain & Ireland.

The British Boys Championship took place over the links of Prestwick Golf Club in 1963, the winner being AHC Soutar (Madras College). Ayrshire had six players in the last 32 that year, but only Duncan S Cameron (Kilmarnock Academy) progressed, eventually losing out in the semi final by 3 & 2 to D I Rigby (Blackpool Technical College). The other Ayrshire players who reached the last 32 were G B S Thomson (Marr College), R L Crawford (Kilmarnock Academy), J Cannon (Irvine Royal Academy), J K H Howie (Ardrossan Academy) and W R Lockie (Marr College).

The boys international match between Scotland and England was also held at Prestwick in 1963 and, with three Ayrshire players in the side, Scotland defeated England by 9 - 3. In the foursomes, Billy Lockie (Marr College) teamed up with M D Cleghorn (Selkirk High) for a 3 & 2 win over D I Rigby (Blackpool Tech) & M Curry (Rose Hill) whilst Duncan Cameron (Kilmarnock Academy) and R B Thomas (Kelvinside Academy) had a one hole win over P M Townsend (St Columbas College) & J A Bloxham (Cotswold Hills). R Leslie Crawford (Kilmarnock Academy) made it three points from 3 for the Ayrshire players, teaming up with D Small (Bell-Baxter High) for a 3 & 1 win over R G Lambert (Christ's College) & G I Clark (South Shields), as Scotland won the foursomes by 4 - 0.

In the singles, Lockie lost to R J Radway (Hele's Green) by 7 & 6 but Crawford had a 1 hole win over E J Threlfall (Manchester Grammar) and Cameron won 3 & 2 against R G Lambert (Christ's College) as Scotland won the singles by 5 - 3.

In the Youths Amateur Championship at Pollock, David Murdoch (Glasgow University & Prestwick St Cuthbert) and A J Low (St Andrews University) tied after four rounds on 283. After an 18 hole play off could not seperate the duo, both returning scorses of 69, the destiny of the title was decided at the first extra hole with Low winning the crown with a 3 to Murdoch's 4. David Murdoch hasd the consolation of being selected to play in the youths international between Scotland and England that year, also played at Pollock, with Scotland defeating England by 9 - 6. Murdoch, playing alongside fellow Ayrshireman Colin Strachan (Glasgow University/Kilmarnock Barassie) lost his foursomes match to D J Miller (Wentworth) and J Critchley (Leigh) by 1 hole as Scotland took a 4 - 1 lead into the singles. In the singles Murdoch bounced back with a 2 & 1 win over P M Baxter (Sherwood Forest) whilst Strachan gained a point for the side due to the retiral of D J Miller as the singles were halved 5 - 5. Murdoch went on to gain full international honours for Scotland in 1964 , as did Strachan in 1965,66 & 67.