Our Story
Douglas Park Golf Club was founded in 1897 and the course opened under the captaincy of William Lyon on 2nd October 1897.
In June 1897 Mr Will Gibson of Camphill, Bearsden wrote to several friends and neighbours inviting them ‘to attend a meeting of gentlemen favourable to the formation of a golf course on the ground at Douglas Park’. Although only eleven people attended, they resolved that evening to do just that.
Within 14 weeks they had taken a lease of the ground, had the land drained and constructed a 9-hole course. They also accepted an estimate to build an iron clubhouse for the sum of £150 and the course duly opened in October 1897.
The railway to Milngavie had opened in 1863 and membership of Douglas Park mushroomed when a station was built at Hillfoot almost adjacent to the course. Additional ground was quickly acquired, and an 18-hole layout designed by Willie Fernie of Troon. This opened on 5th September 1903.
After further changes, the ground presently occupied by the club was purchased in 1922 and further ground was acquired in 1932 leading to the formation of the course which is recognisable as our present-day layout subject to one or two later adjustments. The present clubhouse was opened in 1938 and provides locker rooms and a generously proportioned lounge with a panoramic view over the 1st and 18th holes.
Notable Members
Douglas Park has produced a number of very fine golfers and among the most notable were two who came through our junior ranks and are still with us as regular playing members.
Harry MacAnespie was winner of the British Boys Golf Championship at St Andrews in 1949, beating future Ryder Cup player, Norman Drew in the final.
David Carrick’s distinguished career included winning the Scottish Amateur Championship in 1985 and the Scottish Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 1987. David represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup in 1983 and 1987. He was later a Walker Cup selector for many years. David’s son Angus has since followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming the Scottish Amateur Champion in 2021. David and Angus are the only father and son to have won this Championship.
Belle Robertson, who played in seven Curtis Cup matches and subsequently captained the British team, has been an honorary member of Douglas Park since 1989 and was recently inducted into the Scottish Golf Women’s Hall of Fame.
One further unique feature of Douglas Park is its relationship to the Antonine Wall which runs through the 13th and 15th holes. The wall was built about 140AD by Roman troops and is an archaeological monument of international importance, being one of the best-preserved frontier systems of the whole of the Roman Empire. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.