A short history of the Evening News Dispatch Trophy

No Golfer will forget standing on the first tee in the Dispatch Trophy, the stillness and eerie silence, punctuated only by the song of an ascending lark and the escalating hammer of his own heartbeat.

But the Braids, the magnificent Braid Hills Golf Course, home to the Dispatch since 1890 was born out of conflict and rebellion.

The golfing fraternity of Edinburgh had, since the dawn of time, plied their art at Bruntsfield Links. Said by some, in deference to our friends in the East Neuk, to be the real home of golf.

However, the building of new blocks of flats at Warrender Park sparked conflict between the golfing fraternity and the city council.

Our council leaders, fearful of danger to the public by errant golfers, threatened parliamentary powers to "prohibit absolutely the playing of golf on Bruntsfield Links."

The golfers took action.

Appeals for support "for defending in parliament if necessary" were issued to golf clubs throughout the land and to plot a counter-attack, clandestine meetings took place in the Golf Tavern (many times).

A public meeting of considerable numbers was arranged for 1 October 1886 and was held, naturally enough, in the Golf Tavern. At this meeting it was wholeheartedly agreed that "should the golfers be forced to move, they should accept nothing short of the Braid Hills".

Other public meetings followed. Pressure on the town council was mounting.

At a meeting of the Edinburgh Town Council on 21 November 1886 it was agreed to purchase of Braid Hills for the princely sum of £11,000 and on 29 May, three years later, Councillor Provost Boyd drove the first ball. The whereabouts of the opening drive is not recorded. Down the fairway, or was it lost in the whins to be sold back on Saturday by the young entrepreneurs who have been in business residence ever since?

The course, in fact, did not open to the public until September of 1889 and on 9 November of that year the first tournament was played.

This was a handicap stroke play competition, the winner receiving a splendid gold medal from Councillor Colston (This medal is now resident in the Edinburgh Western Golf Club).

The tournament, however, was short-lived as golfers were not impressed by the committee's inability to get the handicaps anywhere near right. It seems little has changed over the years.

The demise of this tournament saw the birth of another, the Dispatch Trophy.

The 'Edinburgh Evening Dispatch', which had thrown its weight behind the purchase of the Braids, put forward a challenge trophy whereby clubs would submit a team of two pairs "to compete in foursomes play with rivals, club against club". The Dispatch was born.

The inaugural Dispatch Trophy Tournament was played on the first Saturday of April 1890 and, barring war years, has been played every year since.

Carlton Club won the trophy outright when they secured their third win in 1898. This prompted the proprietors of the Edinburgh Evening Dispatch to present an even grander trophy and this is the one we play for today. Its value, priceless, and reputation, second to none.

Since the Braids opened, between 60,000 and 90,000 rounds of golf are played annually, and every year clubs eagerly compete in the Dispatch Trophy, regarded as one of the most popular events on the golfing calendar.

The foursome team format has remained unchanged, a testament to the vision of the tournament's founding fathers. As for the thumping heartbeat on the first tee, that too, remains unchanged.