THE WAY THEY WERE: CARNOUSTIE backdrop to 1st tee and 18th green

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The awful public clubhouse building - changing rooms and toilets on the ground floor, tea room and bar on the first floor - that used to be the backdrop to the Carnoustie championship course's first tee and 18th green has long been forgotten since it was replaced by the splendid appearance of the Carnoustie Golf Hotel.
Whoever designed the original building showed a total lack of flair for the task in hand. Perhaps the Carnoustie Town Council did not give him a big enough budget to use a little bit of style, instead of an ugly-looking rectangular box.
To think the 1968 Open - won by Gary Player - was played at Carnoustie when that monstrosity of a brick building was the clubhouse for the best golfers in the world. Not a good advertisement for the town of Carnoustie.
I remember there was talk at the time of the Carnouste Golf Hotel being built that a statue of Ben Hogan - the 1953 Open winner at Carnoustie - should be given a place of honour in front of the impressive looking building. It never happened but it was a good idea. Too late now?

+If you have any pictures of a golfing nature - at least 10 years old - you think other readers might like to see, please E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com with a story-caption.