A historic golf club is preparing for an exciting new future following the opening of its new clubhouse.
Callander Golf Club, which was founded in 1890, was badly affected by falling membership numbers due to changes in the demographic of the town, as well as the sale of its old clubhouse immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant the club was unable to capitalise on the subsequent “golf boom”.
However, following several years of hard work to improve the quality of the course, the club has also undergone a transformation off the course, and officially opened its doors to the public on Saturday, May 13.
Named Old Tom’s Rest – after the legendary Old Tom Morris who designed the course – the club wants the building to become a hub for the entire community of the Trossachs town.
Andrew Lloyd, Chairman of the club’s Management Committee, said: “Our club has endured a difficult period over the last decade.
“However, with the opening of our new clubhouse we are ready to kick-start a positive new period.”
The club’s fortunes have been dramatically altered over the last two years, with renewed partnerships with other organisations within the local community and a fresh focus on making golf accessible resulting in more than 60 new members joining in time for the 2023 season – half of whom are under the age of 18.
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Highly-regarded PGA coach Allan Martin, the club’s former professional, has also returned as its roving pro to lead the junior coaching and ‘Get Into Golf’ initiatives.
In recognition of his contribution to the club over many years, Allan was asked to cut the ribbon to officially open the new clubhouse.
He said: “This is an important day, not just for the club but the entire Callander community.
“It gives the members and those visiting the area the opportunity to enjoy a welcoming and pleasant environment within the town.
“It provides a focal point for the members and those playing golf, which will further promote the facilities the club and the town have to offer, as well as a link to other community groups within the Callander area.”
As the gateway town to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Callander is a tourist hub – and a key part of the plan to future-proof the club is a sustained bid to attract visiting golfers and non-golfers to the facilities.
Andrew added: “We want our golf club to be a place where everyone can relax, enjoy a coffee and take in our breathtaking surroundings, whether they are playing 18 holes, walking to the Bracklinn falls, cycling round the Trossachs or simply passing through.
“We pride ourselves on offering a true Scottish golf experience, and a warm welcome is just as much a part of that as the game of golf itself.”
The course itself was designed by Old Tom Morris and opened in 1890 and is widely regarded as one of the most scenic golf courses in Scotland.
Over the last decade the club has suffered a decline, resulting in the old clubhouse adjacent to the first tee being sold off and the new one being out in place.
The club is carrying out a range of improvements, with the next aim being to improve the practice facilities with the ultimate goal of returning to a spot in Scotland’s top 100 courses, while also providing a warm welcome to golfers, walkers, cyclists and everyone who passes through.
The new clubhouse will be the third in the club’s 133-year existence.
The first was a wooden shed built in 1893, just yards from where the new building currently stands.
The former pavilion was erected in 1908, the year of Old Tom Morris’s death, and it was further extended in 1979 to include a function area.
