Act of Council and regulations for the Silver Club competition, from the Minute Book of the Company of Gentlemen Golfers, 1744.
[National Library of Scotland reference: Acc.11208/1]
The Silver Club regulations
The first minute book of the world's first golf club opens with a copy of an Act of Council drawn up by Edinburgh Town Council.
The Act agrees to the Gentlemen Golfers' request to start a competition and their regulations for it.
Open to gentlemen golfers
The Silver Club competition was to be open to noblemen and gentlemen golfers from all over Britain. They had to pay an entry fee, and record their names up to 8 days before the event in a book kept at Mrs Clephan's inn at Leith.
The 'Regulations' detail arrangements for:
- The order of play
- Recording scores
- Determining the winner.
The winner of the competition on Leith Links was to be 'Captain of the Golf' for the next year, and a silver ball with his name on it was to be attached to the Silver Club.
Silver Club tradition continues
This tradition continues today. The world's first golf club is now known as the 'Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers' and in 2010 is adding silver balls to a 4th Silver Club.