The Royal Portrush Golf Club
Foundation, evolution and guiding influences
As the annual links golf jamboree commences tomorrow at the Scottish Open, minds will begin to wander onwards to the 153rd Open Championship. Over the coming days content will fill various channels, focussing on past winners, holes of note, course revisions, playing strategies and much more.
We’ve taken a slightly different approach here at Firm & Fast.
Having successfully sourced and collated various historical materials, we have produced a number of short podcasts exploring the influence that 3 specific gentleman had on the development of golf at Portrush from 1892 and indirectly farther afield across the Island of Ireland.
The three gentlemen in question are
Thomas Mackintosh Gilroy
Gilroy belonged to a wealthy Dundee based merchant family. In the 10 short years that he resided in Ireland he was recognised as the best golfer on the island and was centrally involved in founding and advising many of the early clubs including those located at Dollymount, Newcastle, Portrush, Belfast, Mornington & Baltray.
A link to the Gilroy podcast can be found here, it’s a fascinating story!
Sir Anthony Brutus Babington
Anthony Babington was born in County Derry and educated in Scotland and Dublin. He was first introduced to golf at Lisfannon, Co. Donegal and joined The Royal Dublin Golf Club once he commenced his third level studies at Trinity College.
A legal scholar, Babington was called to the bar in 1900 and became a Kings Council in 1917. He first met Harry Colt during reconstruction of The Royal Dublin Club’s Dollymount course after WW1. They became firm friends and this relationship influenced the development of the golf courses at Portrush, Craigavad (Royal Belfast), Belvoir Park (Belfast) & Cairndhu… amongst others.
Post partition, Babington would move back to Northern Ireland, subsequently holding various legal and political positions, which included both Attorney General and Lord Justice of Appeal. He was a golfer of some repute, earning both provinicial (Ulster) and national caps over the course of his competitive golfing career. By his own admission, he may have enjoyed the administrative side of the sport almost as much as he did playing.
We recently released a series of short podcasts recounting material from Sir Anthony’s unpublished memoirs and historical recollections. The material covers the period from the late 1890’s to the hosting of the 1951 Open Championship at Portrush.
Special thanks is due to Martin Ebert, Tony Muldoon and Oliver Babington Wilson for assistance in collating the materials that facilitated the content.
F&F #64 - A.B. Babington Part 1 - Trinity & Dollymount
F&F #65 - A.B. Babington Part 2 - Early Days at Portrush
F&F #66 - A.B. Babington Part 3 - Harry Shapland Colt at Royal Portrush
F&F #67 - A.B. Babington Part 4 - New Clubhouse & 1951 Open Championship
Harry Shapland Colt
Harry Shapland Colt passed away in November 1951 just after his Dunluce masterpiece had hosted its first Open Championship. In the wake of his death, Anthony Babington penned an extended obituary reminiscing about shared times, road trips and a life well lived in the service of golf and golfers.
This final episode deals with the essence of a quiet and unassuming man who still influences the game of golf through his timeless routings and strategic designs.
F&F #68 - A.B. Babington Part 5 - Remembering Harry Colt
I hope you enjoy some or all of the prepared content while interspersing your watching with some golf of your own.
Best
Shane