Crow Wood Golf Club: Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition

Crow Wood - Then and Now

A James Braid designed, parkland golf course formed in 1925, Crow Wood is situated on the Garnkirk Estate and boasts the converted 18^th century Mansion House as our magnificent clubhouse. With beautiful views of the Campsie hills and Ben Lomond beyond, it is a place that is soothing to the soul.

The future of the golf club is bright with a course development plan that will see some of the original Braid features restored, a complete bunker renovation across all 53 bunkers, an upgraded irrigation system, a new fleet of John Deere machinery and a grow-in program of wispy rough to replace the existing lush rough. Add to this a 6-hole Par 3 course, the Toptracer technology in the range, our very own turf nursery and our environmental and sustainability goals and you have a modern day golf course fit for all standard of golfer.

Off the course, the vision already underway is for the club to once again be at the heart of the community with a welcoming, family-orientated environment, meeting points, outside walks, a destination venue in the shape of Garnkirk House and a plethora of social, community and spectacular events based both within the House itself and the surrounding grounds.

Crow Wood Golf Club - A Brief History

One hundred years ago, on the fourth of April 1925, after a large, celebratory lunch, Colonel Sir Alexander Sprot M.P. and first President of Crow Wood Golf Club, struck the inaugural tee shot which officially opened Crow Wood Country Club. Although the full course wasn’t officially opened for play until late April or early May, Sir Alexander’s shot marks the day Crow Wood became a golf course.

Sir Alexander and his family had bequeathed Garnkirk House and the surrounding land, Garnkirk Policies for use as a clubhouse, golf course and other sporting pursuits.

Garnkirk (m. enclosure of the hen) House.

There has been dwelling of some sort on the land currently occupied by Garnkirk House since the early 1600’s. The land, which had been previously owned by “The Church” was purchased by John Dunlop in 1634 and it was he who built the first version of the current house. Subsequent Dunlop generations owned the land and buildings until 1769 when it was briefly sold on, only to be re-purchased by another descendant of the Dunlops.

After another short ownership by another family, the estate was sold to Mark Sprot. Following his death the estate was managed by a trusteeship until another Mark Sprot (nephew of the first) eventually took over.

He rebuilt the house but kept the original facade. The Sprot family continued to manage the estate until 1925 when the handover to the Golf Club took place. However the house was sold to A.R. Stenhouse in 1932 who rebuilt the house to approximately its present dimensions and appearance.

The Clubhouse

The Golf Club, looking for a new home, built and moved to a new, purpose built clubhouse, which is now part of the Crow Wood Hotel.

However the Golf Club re-purchased Garnkirk House and moved back in 1955.

From newspaper reports and old photographs the clubhouse of 1925 was considerably different to what it is now. Member’s and visitor’s experience of the clubhouse consists of a ground and one story country house but 100 years ago the clubhouse is described as this:

“The mansion house, now undergoing reconstruction…, has a pastural approach with its masses of rhododendron bushes and its environed gardens of a country seat. Locker rooms for the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s sections are all on the ground floor, with modern toilet accommodation. A spacious dining room and equally commodious lounge are on the first floor, both commanding fine views of the course and surrounding country. There are bedrooms on the second and third floors for the use of members…… The ample resources of the mansion house give accommodation on a very generous scale and put the members in possession of a clubhouse worthy of the undoubted qualities of the course.”

Kirkintilloch Herald April 1 1925.

Crow Wood Golf Course

As with the clubhouse the course has changed and developed over the years. Originally designed by James Braid (5 times Open winner and renowned course architect) Crow Wood began as a 5,610 yard, Bogey 78. See note below.

The holes ranged in length from 130 yards to 470 yards and he made full use of the land and the surrounding views of the countryside and Campsies.

A map of one of the early layouts can be viewed on the wall of the Stud Bar.

Note:

Bogey was the first stroke system and was developed in England in the 19th century. The idea was conceived to standardise the number of shots at each hole a “good” golfer should take. It was only in the middle of the 20th century that the term “Bogey” was used as the term for one over par.

There are still visible evidence of the changes which have been made over the years. Most of the obvious changes took place around 50 years ago during the early 70’s, after the houses to the right of the 6th fairway and green were built. In fact, from the beginning of 1970 the current 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th holes were all considered to be “new”.

History of the course: hole-by-hole

The First (Sprot) : The lower teeing area wasn’t built until around 40 years ago.

The Second (Muirhead) : When walking around the dog-left, just over the rise, there is an indentation in the middle of the fairway which was a fairway bunker.

Almost immediately to the right of that area, in the semi rough, there is a small, flat piece of land which was a teeing area.

The old green was to be found approx 40 yards short and to the left of the current green.

The Third (Greenlee): The teeing area was situated just short of the current tee and immediately to the left towards the row of houses in Muirhead.

Just short of the green, and to the left was a bunker.

The Fourth (Campsie View): Roughly a similar layout.

The Fifth ( Lindsaybeg now Mackie) : The current hole hole was introduced in the early 1970’s. The original tee area can be found by walking from the 4th green, following the road (which runs between the 4th and 11th) and stepping over the ditch into the really heavy rough, one might find themselves in if one has a particularly bad snap hook from the 11th. The tee shot was down towards the corner where houses now are, then dog legging, following the line of the houses, to the green, which was situated behind the 7th tee, into the corner. For a few years there was a small artificial pond just short and to the right of the old green.

The name Lindsaybeg was dropped when the 5th was re-named in honour to the Mackie family.

The Sixth (Berryknowe): Standing on the Lady’s tee and facing backwards and to the left into the extreme corner of the course, is where where the original tee ground was situated. The “old” 6th green is now the 5th green. The burn and the other side of the burn were out of bounds.

The Seventh (Drumsack): After playing the current 5th and walking towards the current 6th tee, the area just before and left of the bridge was the teeing ground. From there the hole was played across the burn and to the current 8th green. This short par four was protected by a couple of bunkers just short of the green entrance.

The Eighth (Auchengeoch): Currently played as the 9th, although it was designed and played more as a short dog-leg.

The inth (Peat Hill): When walking up the current 7th you will notice a dip in the fairway around 150 yards from the green. That was where the “old” 9th green was situated. The tee area was from the current 8th tee. The par three was protected by a single bunker which lay across the length of the green entrance.

The second nine were largely untouched by the changes over the past 50+ years but there have been some cosmetic changes.

The Eleventh (Stey Bray): standing on the 11th tee turn and face into the field to the right. There was once a hole there taking the player round, past the old orchard, to the bottom of the current driving range.

There is also evidence of another hole which used to act as the old practice area. From the 13th green (Auld House), directly to the right within the heavy rough, there was a teeing area. From there the old hole/practice area ran back down, parallel with the 13th towards the 16th green.

The Fourteenth (Sclaffer’s): When the clubhouse was on the site of Crow Wood Hotel, the 14th was the first hole. Presumably it was named after nervous golfers. The green is now around 15 yards to the right of the original.

Subsequent, further and ongoing changes have developed and enhanced the course into what is now the mature and excellent golf challenge it is now.