1897 – Cruicks House becomes the new clubhouse

 
In 1893, when Cruicks Estate was added to the Ferryhills course, the intention was to include Cruicks House in the lease. However the house was occupied by William Lindsay – and his lease did not expire until 1897.

By 1896, as the membership continued to grow, especially with members from Edinburgh, a proposal was raised to use Cruicks House as the club house. Not only would this provide larger facilities, but the kitchen and dining room in Cruicks House meant that proper food could be provided to members.
A Special General Meeting of the Club on Saturday December 19th 1896 agreed to take over Cruicks House and furnish it as a Club House at a cost not exceeding £150.

At a further meeting on January 9th 1897 estimates from several firms were discussed and it was decided to “give the furniture contract to Messrs Taylor, Princes St. Edinburgh as they were considered the best and the linoleum to go to Messrs J & R Allan Edinburgh. The cutlery & silver to go to Messrs Russell & Co. Edinburgh.”

The official opening of Cruicks House as the new clubhouse was on 20th March 1897.

Disposal of the old Club House

The old Club house, the pavilion on Ferryhills, had cost £200 in May 1890. It was agreed that the house be sold at half cost, and advertised in the Dispatch and the Golfing papers.

It was sold to Torwoodlee Golf Club, Galashiels. The last record of it in the Dunfermline Golf Club minutes – 3 September 1897 – notes that Torwoodlee had neither, ‘paid for or uplifted it’.

It was installed at Torwoodlee, and repainted before its official opening there on 11 May 1898. It was used until the present Torwoodlee clubhouse was built in 1936.

The arrow in this image indicates the banking on the current 14th hole of the Torwoodlee Golf Club course, Galashiels where the old clubhouse stood until 1936.

Meantime the improved facilities at the new club-house attracted new members especially from Edinburgh.