Club History
Club History
On 3 May 1845, seventeen gentlemen gathered and agreed to form Panmure Golf Club. It is a measure of our continuity that the constitution adopted at that first meeting differs little from the one that governs the Club today.
The Great Hogan at Panmure
In 1953, Ben Hogan won his one and only Open Championship at Carnoustie. It would be the final major victory of his career and the only time he would visit Scotland. Known affectionately by the Scots as the “Wee Ice Mon”, Hogan cemented his place in golfing history with no small assistance from Panmure Golf Club.
In preparation for the Championship, Hogan spent two weeks with us, accompanied only by his caddie, Cecil Timms. Here, he acclimatised himself to the demands of links golf and familiarised himself with the smaller 1.62-inch British ball. The quiet nature of Panmure suited him perfectly.
Hogan would never return to compete in The Open, but his connection with Panmure endures. Our sixth hole, a formidable par four, bears his name. It was Hogan who suggested the addition of a cleverly concealed pot bunker at the front right of the green – a hazard that remains very much in play today.
More than seventy years on, members still refer to it simply as Hogan’s Bunker.
Formation & First Links
On 6 June 1845, Allan Robertson and Alexander Pirie travelled from St Andrews to examine and lay out the links at Monifieth. They declared the ground well suited to the game and easily prepared, charging a fee of thirty shillings.
The Medal Course
The original nine-hole course evolved gradually, becoming an eighteen-hole Medal course in 1880.
Move to Barry
As membership grew, increasing congestion at Monifieth prompted us to seek new ground. In 1899, the Club moved to its present home at Barry.
Evolution
Colonel J. Lindsay Henderson described the land now occupied by holes four to fifteen as unpromising to the greenkeeper, yet full of promise to the golf architect – a judgement time has proven entirely correct.
Maule and the Scallop Shell
Our emblem, the scallop shell, is drawn from the coat of arms of the Maule family and was adopted with the gracious permission of the Earl of Dalhousie.
The Maule name is deeply rooted in Angus and Scottish history. From Norman origins and royal courts to Jacobite rebellion and eventual restoration, the family’s fortunes shaped much of the land on which golf is now played. It was from William Maule, first Lord Panmure, that local gentlemen leased land to establish a golf club at Monifieth, naming it in his honour.
In 1898, we purchased land at Barry from Arthur, the 14th Earl of Dalhousie, who would later serve as Captain of the Club in 1907.
Championships at Panmure
As befits one of Scotland’s grand old courses, we have hosted many significant championships over the years.
