THE HISTORY OF DEACONSBANK GOLF COURSE now known as ROUKEN GLEN GOLF COURSE.
OPENED FRIDAY 25TH AUGUST 1922.
At a meeting of Glasgow Corporation’s Sub-committee of Recreations and Parks on 23 September 1914, the Director was instructed to proceed with the laying out of the new 18-hole golf course to be formed on the lands of Deaconsbank and the former farm steading buildings to be utilised as a clubhouse and for green staff accommodation. Present – Full committee, Councillor McNab (Chair), Mr Crawford and the Director.
The construction of the golf course was delayed due to the First World War 20 July 1914 to 11 November 1918.
The Glasgow Corporation’s Sub-committee on 17 November 1920 looked at this project and instructed the Director to proceed with the laying out of the new golf course.
On 19 January 1921 David Adams, golf expert, was commissioned to proceed with the laying out of the 18-hole golf course and former farm steading buildings and it was agreed that the opening date for the new golf course would be on Friday 25 August 1922.
On Friday 25 August 1922, Councillor McNab called upon Lord Provost Paxton to perform the opening ceremony and the Lord Provost was presented with a gift of silver salt, pepper and mustard vessels. After the official opening ceremony, the golf course was open to the public on Saturday 26 August 1922.
Glasgow Corporation administered the course until they signed the park over to Eastwood District Council on a lease for 125 years on June 1984 and the administration of the golf course and club buildings subsequently passed with this. Eastwood Council looked for a tenant to sub-lease the golf course to and it was eventually leased to Sports Management Scotland, (headed by former Walker Cup Player leading amateur, Gordon Cosh 1965) and a new clubhouse and driving range was built on the footprint of the old cricket field at the entrance to the golf course. Subsequently, there was a further change to the layout of the course where the 18th hole became the 1st and the 17thbecame the 18th.
After a number of years under the direction of Sports Management Scotland, they decided to terminate their lease and it was taken over by Next Generation Clubs who were formed in 1999, run by Scott Lloyd, the son of David Lloyd. To this day Deaconsbank Golf Course is still run by the Lloyd Leisure Group of companies.
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DEACONSBANK GOLF CLUB.
On 6 October 1922 there was a letter dated 27 September submitted from Mr Edward Whittle, Secretary of a Golf Club, for permission to designate the club “The Deaconsbank Golf Club”. Councillor McNab, who was in the Chair, and other committee members formally agreed to grant the request. Therefore Deaconsbank Golf Club became the first official golf club playing golf over Deaconsbank Golf Course.
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