1914 to 1918 – the war years

 
The biggest impact of war for the Golf Club was the huge naval presence in the Forth.

This was a mixed blessing. . .

Naval officers swelled the number of players and left generous gratuities.

The Club minutes of Saturday 10th March 1917 record:

The Secretary reported the receipt of £9 from the Officers of the Battle Cruiser Force for distribution among the Club’s servants and was authorised to return thanks and to distribute the money as follows.
Club Mistress £3:-:-
Her Maid £2:-:-
Her Weekend Assistant £1:10/:-
Green Keeper £2:-:-
His Assistant 10/-
Total £9:-:-

The introduction in 1917 of Food rationing was more of an inconvenience than a hardship for members.

On the downside, civilian membership had halved (falling to 220 by 1919), trenches had been dug on the course, and the clubhouse had been damaged while occupied by military personnel. (The club eventually received compensation in 1921.)

The Carlingnose and Coastguard batteries, and the associated searchlights were protected by machine gun nests, barbed wire entanglements and a series of trenches, to guard against a landward attack. The guns of the Carlingnose battery could point inland, and were equipped with shrapnel shells to deal with invaders.

Kew Archives holds the Carlingnose Fort Record Book WO 192 101 . . .

. . . which contains this chart of the defence lines that protected the batteries.

Superimposing the entrenchments on the map of the course from 1899 shows where the trenches cut across greens and fairways.