The History of
Gleneagles Golf Courses
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In 1910 Donald Matheson, the then General Manager of the Caledonian Railway Company, had a vision for a magnificent hotel sitting atop two world class golf courses and set amongst the most beautiful countryside in Scotland.
Matheson enlisted the expertise of James Braid to help him design what would become known as The King’s and Queen’s courses. Having won the Open Championship five times between 1901 and 1910, Baird had become renowned for his golf course design.
And as he began the re-development, Baird recognised that the Gleneagles terrain would make the perfect venue for golf, with long ridges, flat-topped mounds, enclosed hollows and firm, springy turf. The results are now recognised as two of the most idyllic golf courses in the world.
The King’s course opened in 1919 and in 1921 it played host to the first ever International Challenge Match between British and American professionals – a predecessor of The Ryder Cup.
The Queen’s course was finished in 1924 that year and a nine hole course was opened in 1928. By then Gleneagles was well on the way to becoming a fixed part of the high society’s calendar, playing host to the rich and famous and becoming affectionately known as ‘The Riviera of the Highlands’.
In 1988 golfing legend Jack Nicklaus was asked to design an additional course at Gleneagles to help the hotel become one of the premier golf locations in the world. Opened in 1993 The Monarch’s Course was built over the eighteen holes existing fairway. The Monarch was renamed The PGA Centenary Course in February 2001 to celebrate the centenary year of the PGA.
After his first planning meeting at Gleneagles Jack Nicklaus described the area and grounds as ‘the finest in the world I have ever been given to work with’. Now, some 25 years later, the greatest players in the world will descend on a small glen in Scotland to play out The 2014 Ryder Cup on the course that Jack built.
Go to Nespresso Facebook page
www.rydercup.com/europe
And as he began the re-development, Baird recognised that the Gleneagles terrain would make the perfect venue for golf, with long ridges, flat-topped mounds, enclosed hollows and firm, springy turf. The results are now recognised as two of the most idyllic golf courses in the world.
The King’s course opened in 1919 and in 1921 it played host to the first ever International Challenge Match between British and American professionals – a predecessor of The Ryder Cup.
The Queen’s course was finished in 1924 that year and a nine hole course was opened in 1928. By then Gleneagles was well on the way to becoming a fixed part of the high society’s calendar, playing host to the rich and famous and becoming affectionately known as ‘The Riviera of the Highlands’.
In 1988 golfing legend Jack Nicklaus was asked to design an additional course at Gleneagles to help the hotel become one of the premier golf locations in the world. Opened in 1993 The Monarch’s Course was built over the eighteen holes existing fairway. The Monarch was renamed The PGA Centenary Course in February 2001 to celebrate the centenary year of the PGA.
After his first planning meeting at Gleneagles Jack Nicklaus described the area and grounds as ‘the finest in the world I have ever been given to work with’. Now, some 25 years later, the greatest players in the world will descend on a small glen in Scotland to play out The 2014 Ryder Cup on the course that Jack built.
Go to Nespresso Facebook page
www.rydercup.com/europe
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