Golf

Nigg Bay Golf Club through the years: More than 50 pictures from birdies, bogeys and birthday bashes at Balnagask

James Braid, Archie Simpson and the Hawtree family all played a part in creating the course.

To go with story by Danny Law. Nigg Bay Golf Club pictures through the years Picture shows; Nigg Bay Golf Club pictures through the years. Aberdeen. Supplied by DC Thomson Date; 26/11/2024

By Danny Law

November 27 2024, 12:00 pm

November 27 2024, 12:00 pm

Balnagask Golf Course in Aberdeen is regarded as one of the best municipal courses in the country – and we have taken many pictures there over the decades.

James Braid, Archie Simpson and the Hawtree family all played a part in creating the course, which offers stunning views of the Granite City.

While golf has been played at Balnagask since 1905, it was 50 years later Nigg Bay Golf Club was established.

Here are some pictures from our archives of Nigg Bay Golf Club through the years.

Members of the Nigg Bay junior pennant league team in 1976. The Balnagask youngsters were at the top of the league at the time. They are: back row (left to right)- Philip Guyan, Michael Lornie, William Hopkins, Peter Milne, Rob Watt, Gary Wood, Alan Wood, Bob Lawrence, junior convener. Front row: Michael Kelly, Neil Cameron, Alex Leiper, Mark Lynch, William Douglas.

Nigg Bay Golf Club captain Joe Charlton (pictured left at flag) unfurled the club’s new flag which bears a specially-designed crest in 1976. Arrangements for the crest took two years to complete following consultation with the Lord Lyon King of Arms. The crest bears a castle tower, taken from the Aberdeen Coat of Arms, a phaeon, from the crest of Col. Davidson, who owned the land on which the golf course stands, golf clubs and balls, and the Girdleness Lighthouse, which overlooks the course. Image: Aberdeen Journals.

Nigg Bay Junior Golf Club champion Peter Milne, of Balnagask Road, Aberdeen, holds his championship trophy, the Crombie Match-play Cup, watched by other award winners at the Junior club’s presentation of prizes in the clubhouse in October 1977. Image: Aberdeen Journals.

Nigg Bay I show off the Maitland Shield after their victory over Murcar I in the final in 1980. Left to right – Alan Wood, Sydney McDermott (Nigg Bay club captain), Donald Jamieson, Gary Wood, Jack McKimmie and John Melvin, the tournament secretary. Image: Aberdeen Journals.

Plans are afoot for extensions at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 1981. Here officials look over the plans for the new development. Left to right – Sydney McDermott (captain), George Ross (treasurer), John Watt (vice-captain), Phil Glendinning (secretary), Alex Cowie (match secretary).

Smiles all round from this happy group of Nigg Bay youngsters. The Balnagask club earlier in the week clinched the Aberdeen and District Junior Pennant League championship. In the picture: Back row (left to right) – S. McDermott, club captain, S. Wood, S. Brock, G. Hewitt, S. Joiner, D. Scott, J. Watt, junior convener. Front – I. Jack, S. Scorgie, I. Bruce, M. Wood, D. Keith, P. Hanratty, G. Grimmer.

Prize-winning junior members of Nigg Bay Golf Club in the clubhouse for the trophy presentation in 1981 by club champion Donald Jamieson (second right) and club captain Sid McDermott (left) with the junior convener Johnny Watt also pictured (extreme right).

The Nigg Bay team who were pipped by Cruden Bay in a play-off for the Aberdeen and District Junior Pennant Golf League Championship in 1983. The sides drew 3-3, but Nigg Bay lost on a count back of holes. They are: back row (from left), D. Scott, F. Wright, S. Hosie, G. Grimmer, G. Thom (captain), C. Philip, S. Christie and D. Cowie. Front row (from left) M. Rennie, N. Fraser, I. Hosie, D. Baxter, G. Turnbull, S. Hanratty, G. Reid, P. Pacitti and K. Rose.

There was an excellent entry for the Nigg Bay Open Junior golf tournament at Balnagask in June 1984 and the youngsters responded to the fine weather with some good golf. Junior convener John Watt organising the young competitors at the start of the Nigg Bay Open at Balnagask.

There were plenty of trophies on show here as the junior section of Nigg Bay Golf Club held their annual prizegiving in 1984. Pictured with the trophy winners are (left) club captain Ken Marr and (right) junior section convener John Watt.

Nigg Golf Club’s junior prize-giving in 1985. Junior champion Neal Fraser is pictured in the front row, third from left.

Youngsters taking part in the Nigg tournament in 1986 are handed their scorecards by junior convener Jim Riddell (back) and assistant junior convener Bill Rawlings (right).

Silverware galore on show at the Nigg Bay Golf Club senior presentation of trophies at the Balnagask clubhouse in 1986.

Nigg Bay Golf Club trophy winners at their annual prizegiving in the clubhouse in 1987.

Nigg Bay 1 quartet (left to right) George Livingstone, Gary Wood, Donald Jamieson and Ally Christie before a Maitland Shield quarter-final clash with Royal Aberdeen 1 at Balgownie in 1988.

The Nigg Bay side who finished runners-up to Hazlehead in the Aberdeen Pennant League final in 1991.

Nigg Bay had good reason to be buoyant after lifting two team awards in the space of a few weeks in 1991. The Balnagask club, represented by Aberdeen Links champion Gordon Grimmer, Billy Main, Graham Gordon and Alan Thomson, celebrated their third appearance in the Dufftown Challenge Cup by recording a comfortable victory. Nigg Bay completed a double in the Northern Counties Cup by overcoming Orkney, Inverness 1, Duff House Royal, Banchory and Royal Aberdeen 1 at Peterhead. Showing off the new additions to the Nigg Bay club silverware cabinet are Donald Jamieson, Gary Thom, Billy Main and Graham Gordon with the Northern Counties Cup. (Front) Gordon Grimmer and Alan Thomson with the Dufftown Challenge Cup.

Nigg Bay Golf Club team get ready for action in the Evening Express snooker league in 1992. Front from left – Kevin Giles, Dougie Raeburn, Dean Scott and Mark Wood. Back – Lee Conner (left) and Jim Cruickshank.

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Trouble for Jason Dickson at the sixth hole but he gets himself out of the situation in the 1985 Nigg Bay junior open golf at Balnagask. </span></span>

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Lighting the way: An aerial view of Girdleness lighthouse in 1975 with the Torry Coo, Aberdeen’s famous foghorn, visible in front of the lighthouse tower. Behind is Balnagask Golf Course.</span></span>

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Crowds of sightseers at Balnagask Golf Course take in the 1991 Tall Ships Race, bidding farewell to the Russian vessel Mir as it passes the Round House at Aberdeen Harbour.</span></span>

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Club captain Steve Marr with a damaged fairway at Nigg Bay Golf Club.</span></span>

Prizegiving for the seniors at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2000.

Some golfers enjoying a round of golf at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2001. Image: Chaz Milne.

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Green Final Off the Tee trophy winners in 1998. The Nigg Bay team, from left, Gary Pacitti, Ryan Hunter, Sean Yeats and Martyn Summers.</span></span>

Maitland Shield winners at the Caledonian Golf Club in 2002 – Nigg Bay II, (Martin) Michael Craig, Steve Allan, Gordon Grimmer and Ryan Hunter.

Donald Morrison (right) from GM Engineering Ltd hands over the Pennant Trophy to Captain Micheal Murray from Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2003. Image: Rory Raitt/Aberdeen Journals.

The Nigg Bay team which won the River Dee Seniors Pennant League. Picture taken at Bon Accord Golf Club.

Caledonian’s Stewart Finnie at the Maitland Cup at Nigg Bay in 2005. Image: Amanda Gordon/DC Thomson.

Westhill’s Scott Green at the Maitland Cup at Nigg Bay in 2005. Image: Amanda Gordon/DC Thomson.

Royal Aberdeen’s Colin Shaw at the Maitland Cup at Nigg Bay in 2005. Image: Amanda Gordon/DC Thomson.

From left, 71-year-old John McNair and 91-year-old Jim Fowlie won the Nigg Bay seniors foursomes in 2012. Fowlie, who started playing golf in 1946, said: “Nigg Bay is so hilly that it keeps me fit. Other seniors don’t like playing Nigg Bay because of the hills.” Fowlie was a founding member of Nigg Bay Golf Club in 1955. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

Girdleness lighthouse and Nigg Bay golf course, pictured in 2007 by Jim Irvine.

Graham Freeland, Club captain was annoyed about more than 50 potholes on the 70 yard road connecting the main road to the golf course. As a result of the potholes, some drivers scraped cars and others had taken to driving on the grass, damaging the course. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Members pay their respects to member Stanley Masson, who died at the age of 78 in May 2020. After learning only 10 people would be able to attend his funeral due to social distancing restrictions during the Covid pandemic, his daughters Jennifer and Heather took him to his beloved golf club for his final journey where hundreds of members and friends had gathered. Stanley had been a Nigg Bay member for around 60 years.</span></span>

A snowman and his friends at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2019. Image: Chris Sumner/DC Thomson.

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Aberdeen artist KMG (Katie Guthrie) painted a mural at the golf club as part of Nuart 2021. </span></span>

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Nigg Bay’s Journal Cup-winning team. From left, Dave Fleming, of the North-east District, presents the Nigg Bay team of Zac Wood, Ryan Forbes and Tyler Ogston with the Journal Cup. </span></span>

A place of celebration

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Club captain Brian Gaiter toasts the new club room costing £100,000 at Nigg Bay Golf club in 1999.</span></span>

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Margaret Paterson celebrated her 50th birthday with family and friends at the Nigg Bay Golf Club in 1999.</span></span>

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Lynn Keith (centre) celebrates 25 years’ service at Marks and Spencer with family and friends at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 1999.</span></span>

Elizabeth and Robert Murray celebrated their golden wedding with family and friends at the Nigg Bay Golf Club.

<span style="vertical-align: inherit"><span style="vertical-align: inherit">Gordon and Doreen Porter of Kincorth, celebrate their silver anniversary with family and friends at the Nigg Bay Golf Club, Aberdeen in 2000.</span></span>

Ruby Samuel celeabrates her 80th birthday with family and friends at the Nigg Bay Golf club in 2001.

The Torry Academy class of 1983 hold a school reunion at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2003.

Natalie Brown celebrates her 21st birthday with friends and family at Nigg Bay Golf Club. Image: Simon Walton/DC Thomson.

A Pink Ladies charity night at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2011. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

Alan Brodie’s 50th birthday party at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2013. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

Laura Coe and Craig Meldrum’s engagement party at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2013. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

Rita Fjodorova’s 50th birthday party at Nigg Bay Golf Club. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

Bianca Moore hosted a fundraising event at Nigg Bay Golf Club in 2018 for Charlie House ahead of her going to Peru with the charity. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.

Other galleries you may enjoy from our ‘Through the years’ series:

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