IRVINE Golf Club is celebrating its centenary as a James Braid designed course.
In 1925, the legendary golf course architect was invited to redesign the links at The Irvine Golf Club for a fee of £8.40.
On May 6, 1926, he opened the new design, playing a match alongside Sandy Herd, the 1902 Open Champion.
The course today has altered little other than some additional tees to add length and a few bunker changes.
Set beside the river Irvine, the course is a true test of golf with no two holes remotely similar.
It offers a combination of only one par five, two par three and 15 par fours. Most holes are links in feel and the greens are always in great condition.
To celebrate the centenary, Irvine Golf Club will host series of events, starting with the flag raising ceremony on the anniversary itself to a day of golf and gala dinner in September, where other Scottish courses who are also celebrating this milestone have been invited as guests.
In addition, new on-course flags have been produced.
The course has hosted many significant amateur tournaments over the years from the British and Scottish Amateur Championships, Ladies Home Internationals, Scottish Senior, youth, boys and girls Championships as well as final Open qualifying and other professional events.
Next year will see the club host the Scottish men’s amateur championship in conjunction with Prestwick.
It remains the only Scottish club to have generated three Scottish Amateur Champions in Hammy McInally, Jimmy Walker and Jackie Cannon.
Interestingly the three gentlemen all resided in the hamlet of Bartonholm, which lays close to the course, but is no longer there.
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