Hickory golfers go back in time

Players dress up in Victorian attire to compete in 19th Century-style match on the North Inch

Golfers wearing Victorian attire battled it out using old-style clubs on one of Scotland’s oldest golf courses.

A special game of traditional 19th Century hickory golf was played on Perth’s North Inch course yesterday to celebrate the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

The 12-Hole Hickory Texas Scramble – a four-person team competition – was open to all players and mirrored the first competition ever to be held in Perth, in 1864.

The field included greats of the game such as Old Tom Morris, Willie Park Senior and – on one of his first outings – Young Tom Morris, a week before his 13th birthday.

It was played over three rounds of the then 12-hole North Inch course, armed with their hickories.

Old Tom Morris beat Willie Park Senior into second place. Young Tom, who had intended to play as an amateur, was not allowed to take part and instead competed in a match against local youth champion William Greig.

Hickory golf is a variation of the modern game that was popular in the Victorian era, played with clubs made from hickory wood.

The North Inch is one of Scotland’s oldest courses, with a tradition dating back to the days of King James IV and in the 1800s the course saw some great hickory golf battles between many of the sport’s most enduring legends.

After play there was a prize giving and the players took a tour of the Royal Perth Golfing Society to view the pictures and artefacts at the club, including a photograph of the 1864 tournament.

To complement the hickory golf event and the Solheim Cup, Perth Museum and Art Gallery is holding an exhibition about the ‘Fairway Maid of Perth’, Jessie Valentine.

Born in Perth in 1915 Jessie was a force to be reckoned with in the women’s game from the 1930s-60s.

Her golfing career, with championship wins at home and abroad, made her a Scottish sporting legend.

Awarded an MBE for services to golf she eventually turned professional and used her knowledge to design some of the first golf clubs for women.