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Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club is the 26th oldest Golf Club in the world having been founded on 3rd November 1851 by 28 local men. Of particular note is that one of these men was (Old) Tom Morris who had been brought to Prestwick Golf Club when it was founded earlier in 1851 to be Keeper of the Greens, Club and Ball Maker. It is St Nicholas’s proud boast that in the years Tom Morris was employed by Prestwick Golf Club, and won three of his four Open Championships, St Nicholas was the Club of which he was a member.
Initially the Club was called “The Mechanics Club” but this was changed to Prestwick St Nicholas in 1858 as “The Mechanics” was considered an inappropriate and inaccurate title since the mechanics or craftsmen were by then outnumbered by business men and members of the professions. It is very possible that Tom Morris was instrumental in the selection of the original name as he had been a member of “The Mechanics Club” in St Andrews prior to his move to Prestwick. Tom Morris was made an Honorary Member of the Club in 1861 in recognition of his first victory in the Open Championship.
For the first 26 years of the Club’s existence it shared Prestwick Golf Club’s course but in 1877 it made the move to a new course in Prestwick but this ground was rented on a short term basis which was far from ideal.
In 1892 the Club moved to its present very favourable location. The course was laid out by the then Club professional and Club Maker John Allan and Charles (Charlie) Hunter. Charlie Hunter was the professional at Prestwick Golf Club having succeeded Tom Morris in 1864 – he was also a former captain of St Nicholas Golf Club. Although various alterations have taken place over the decades the course has remained, in essence, unchanged since the 1890s.
The course opened on 7th May 1892 with the Club House being completed before the end of 1892. Being cautious Scotsmen the members designed the Club House in such a way that, should the Club be unsuccessful, the building could be sold as a private dwelling – fortunately the Club has gone from strength to strength. Over the years the Club House has been extended and improved and now provides excellent and comfortable surroundings for members and visitors.
The Ladies’ St Nicholas Golf Club was formed in 1893 and is one of the oldest ladies’ clubs in the country. It was instrumental in 1904 in forming the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association. The formation of the Ladies’ Club resulted to some extent from the fact that the Club had to decide about the future of our previous course. The decision was taken to open the old course to ladies and boys under 15. Membership of the Ladies Golf Club grew quickly and within a year was 140 – by 1906, the membership was 500. The local council owned much of the land on which the Ladies’ course was built and in 1934 they notified that the lease was to be withdrawn. In 1935 the Ladies course closed and the Ladies’ Club have played over St Nicholas since then.
Over the years the Club has hosted qualifying rounds for the Open Championship and Scottish Amateur Championship. The Club hosts annual competitions; the Arrol Cup for low handicap golfers in the West of Scotland, the Roger Casket for competitors over 50 years and our Junior Open for young golfers.
Like many clubs, St Nicholas has had its share of internationalists and Walker Cup players and in addition, has the distinction of having had amongst its members (Old) Tom Morris who was Open Champion on 4 occasions, John Hunter who was the first Scottish Professional Champion in 1907 and John Wilson who was the first winner of the Scottish Amateur Championship in 1922. Laterally, Kelvin Thomson won the Scottish Boys Championship in 1961 (winning 10 and 8).
