Strong winds and driving rain are probably the worst conditions for playing golf in. Despite this the game has been played in Caithness and the north Sutherland coast for more than 100 years. Within Caithness golf was played at Lybster, Wick, John O’Groats, Dunnet, Thurso and Reay. Outside the county reference has been made of golf being played at Melvich and Bettyhill. Also, within each district there appears to have been smaller areas of play with possibly only a few holes. Within the Thurso area records show that Dunnet was the main course while smaller courses were at Brims, Gallow Hill/Wolfburn and at the riverside. It is obvious that a relatively large number of people played golf in those early days in and around Thurso. It is easy to understand therefore why some organisation was needed and there was a desire to form a golf club.
It is interesting to note that of the present 500 plus golf clubs in Scotland 163 were established in the 1880s and 1890s.
It is therefore not surprising that a meeting of Thurso and district golfers was called for in the Royal Hotel on the 15th June 1893. The Rev. Mr Gillieson, Olrig was called to the chair and Mr Sinclair McDonald (architect) of Thurso was appointed interim clerk.
Mr Torrance (Castletown) moved that a golf club be formed. Dr Durran (Castletown) in seconding the motion, referred to the fact that golf had become one of the most popular games of the day and it was a most honourable and healthy one, affording pleasurable recreation and was not connected with vice. He thought it should be encouraged as it would be an inducement to tourists to visit the area.
The motion was carried unanimously and so the Thurso Golf Club was born, but only after some discussion regarding the name, again a Castletown gentleman proposed the name which was unanimously agreed upon.
It was also agreed that while smaller courses in the area of Thurso might be used for private practice, the main play and competitions would take place at the Dunnet links. The annual subscription for members was set at 5 shillings (25 new pence). So began the first 100 years of the Thurso Golf Club, playing on the most northerly golf course on the Scottish mainland, first at Dunnet and then at Thurso
