Looking back with Ian Scott at Falkirk district's links with golf

However, my lack of skill has not stopped me becoming a devoted armchair follower of the sport and I like nothing better than admiring the skill of those who have made the grade with driver or five iron.

Like many I have been captivated by the European team’s triumph over the USA in Rome last week – I can remember the bad old days when we got hammered every time by the Yanks when it was a British only team. So that’s at least one benefit from an integrated Europe!

As far as history is concerned, the game of golf has been played in Falkirk district for centuries. In 1638 Alexander Livingston was convicted for hitting John Gardiner over the head with “ane staff or golfeclub to the effusion of his blood.” in the High Street!

Such behaviour would no doubt shock the genteel golfers of today though I have met a few who have anger management issues when they miss a 12 inch putt on the 18th.

Even earlier, Mary Queen of Scots, a low handicap golfer but a high handicap Queen, visited Callendar House and might well have swung a niblick near the Cladhan which some say was Falkirk’s first golf course as well as the place of public execution. It amuses me to think of some poor soul about to be launched into eternity having a bird’s eye view of the local bairns driving off on the first tee.

Interestingly our three oldest courses are all located on sites of historic interest.

The first was the Tryst at Stenhousemuir which dates back to 1885 when a group of Carron managers laid out a course over part of the ground used for the famous Falkirk Trysts, the greatest cattle fairs in Europe. I seem to remember not too long ago a proposal to move the course to Kinnaird giving up the historic ground for housing. Thankfully this never came to pass and Kinnaird got the houses and the Tryst remained.

It was another 37 years before the Tryst had a rival at Carmuirs inspired by the Provost of Falkirk James G Russell a keen golfer himself: another course on another historic spot, this time the great Roman fort at Carmuirs.

The last of the big three, Glenbervie, was opened in 1932 by a group of ‘professional gentlemen’ to the design of the famous golfer James Braid on lands leased from Carron Company.

These had once been cloaked by the royal forest of Torwood where an ancient oak tree once sheltered William Wallace – or so they say. As a child I remember the late John Panton, long time professional at the club, bringing great distinction to our district and he was followed by his daughter Cathy who was also a champion at national level.

I confess that I did play one round back in the early 1960s on a teacher’s day out at King’s Park in Stirling. I was completely useless but after a while I realised that you could throw the ball when nobody was looking. I went round in 92 strokes and 47 throws which I think is still the course record.