The Beginning
- Local Committee set up around 1893 to explore the possibility of creating a Golf Club in Aberdour and finding an appropriate area of land for a course layout
- A 3 year lease was eventually obtained for an area of approximately 40 to 50 acres on Couston Farm which was on the Western outskirts of the village.
- Yearly rent was £50.
- The farmer retained the right to graze sheep on the land.
- £300 was raised through a Village Bazaar to fund construction of the course.
- The first Annual General Meeting of the Club was held in the Woodside Hotel on the 22 June 1896.
- The Rev. W.H. Gray was elected Captain of the Club.
- The membership in the first year stood at 62 gentlemen, 16 ladies and 3 youths.
- Help was given by Willie Park of Musselburgh in the design and layout of the 9 hole course.
- The length of the course was 3105 yards and which was considered fairly long as most players only had a few clubs such as driver, brassie, cleek, mashie and putter.
- The first course record was set in 1897 by Willie Binnie of Kinghorn and returned a score of 80 over 18 holes.
- Official opening ceremony took place in 1897
- There was an amusing incident during these early years. During play in the Opening Ceremony competition, a player struck a sheep with his approach shot to the first hole, the ball lodging in its fleece. The sheep took fright and, as it bolted across the green, the ball dropped from the sheep’s back and landed close to the hole. The Committee, when asked to give a ruling on the incident, concluded that the ball was still in flight and should be played where it had come to rest without penalty.
- Unfortunately the lease was not renewed in 1899 and, in order to ensure that the Club continued, its members played golf until 1905 over Burntisland Golf Course.
- In 1905 the Club was offered Bellhouse Park to the west of Seaside Place by the Earl of Moray Estate. A nine hole course layout was laid out.
- The new course was officially opened by the Earl of Moray on the 10 April 1905.
- A small clubhouse was erected close to the entrance from Seaside Place.
- The Club flourished in the following years and by 1912 the membership comprised of 88 men, 94 ladies and 4 youths. In the same year work started on developing an 18 hole course.
- Work commenced on extending the course to 18 holes and, in 1914, the new layout was officially opened.
- Due to the war of 1914-1918, the Club experienced falling membership and low activity.
Photographs from this period
