History of our Club

The Wednesday Golfers!

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The Caledonia originated from the Half Holiday Club, founded in 1896 by golfers in the town who worked in shops

and therefore could not play in the Saturday Medal competitions as the shops had a half holiday on a Wednesday,

the members could meet in the afternoon for golf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the 5th June 1896 these Wednesday golfers met in the Queen's Teperance Hotel for the express

purpose of forming a new golf club. Lever Brothers, makers of the famous Sunlight Soap, donated a cup

and monthly badges donated by individual members, Among other donated prizes was 'a silver mounted

Malacca cane kindly presented by Wm Strachan of Calcutta'.

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By March 1897, the Half Holiday Club was arranging matches with Montrose Mercantile and Victoria,

Arbroath, Edzell, Brechin, Fettercairn and the Royal Lunatic Asylum Club, Sunnyside.

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A clubhouse and no alcohol

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In June 1898 the Club had its first meeting in its own clubhouse, 'a hut in field adjoining Dorward's House'

which they considered most handsome. This was probably the hut owned by the Curling Club,

which had been used as a dressing room by Montrose Football Club until 1887.

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At the 1889 AGM it was decided that no alcohol was to be stocked. A set of rules was drawn up,

the same as the Royal Albert's and the popular professional Bob Dow was made a life member.

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A new Clubhouse and a new name

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In 1899 it was decided a new clubhouse would be needed. The club offered to buy the corner site at the end of

Dorward Road which overlooked the golf course. Unfortunately due to a mistake, the new clubhouse was

built three plots further up.

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Alexander Findlay, 'The Father of Golf in America', presented the Half Holiday Club, predecessor of the Caledonia,

with a silver medal in 1900. The members of the Caledonia still play for A.H.Findlay Medal. Another one, the

William Slogie Medal, donated in 1904, is also played for today. Fred Findlay, who later joined his brother

Alexander in America, won this medal in 1904.

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Members felt it was now a good time to adopt a new name and out of a choice of three - the existing title,

the Merchant's Golf Club and the Caledonia Club, they chose the latter.

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The first AGM was held on the 5th June 1901 and the strong temperance views of the club were in the end sacrificed

for the need to make money by selling alcoholic drinks in the Clubhouse.

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The Caledonia became popular and friendly Club, producing its share of excellent golfers. In 1975 it moved from its

Dorward Road Clubhouse to the almost derelict Pierrots' Pavilion into a modern clubhouse

overlooking the 7th and 18th greens of the Broomfield Course. The Caledonia has come a short

distance but a long way from "the hut in the field beside the House of Refuge".

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