Golf Club History Collecting

Club histories are a subset of Golf Books that recount the history of a Golfing Club/Society or a Golf Course.  In the remote past when there were few courses, any one might have multiple Societies call it their home, while Societies might also move to another course over time.  Club Histories describe the Clubs’ origins, competitions and awards (usually with impressive photographs), lists of past “Captains” or prominent members.  They are repositories of golf history mostly unknown to the internet or AI.  They often include excerpts from the minutes of early meetings and details of social activities and customs.

There are over 1500 examples printed in the English language alone, most written by a devoted member or committee of the club, and often to coincide with the centennial of the clubs founding (hence the vast majority are written post 1950).  Some have been written by well-known authors including Bernard Darwin.  

Those from the earliest Societies such as The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Leith Links (established 1744), Burgess and Brunstfield Clubs at Bruntsfield Links, Musselburgh at Musselburgh, St. Andrews, Glascow, and Blackheath near London, etc., are particularly sought and well read by historians and collectors, as are those outside Britain such as Royal Calcutta in India (1828) or Pau France (1856), and on and on.  A particular favorite is “The Golf Book of East Lothian” by John Kerr, an incredible compilation of the histories of many Clubs along the coast of the Firth of Forth, Scotland.  

Collectors might focus on the earliest Societies, those of a particular country or region, those hosting Major Tournaments or famed venues.