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Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland
Clubmakers
Bobby Craigs
Monifieth/Louisville
Bobby Craigs Robert Henry Craigs was born with a twin sister Isabella Kennedy at Ethiebeaton, Monifieth, on 7 July 1886, to another Robert, a gamekeeper, and his wife Isabella, née Kennedy. This was the second set of twins in the family with Robert’s elder brothers William and Joseph being born in 1878. The family moved within the area, Robert snr leaving the fresh air of gamekeeping to become a foundry labourer, to Drumsturdy Road at the time of the 1891 census and to Malaga Place on the 1901 version.

Dundee’s Evening Telegraph of March 1911 summarised the departure of Bobby Craigs to America with ‘probably no more popular golfer has ever been associated with Monifieth and Broughty clubs’. He was twice a semi-finalist in the Telegraph competition. They pointed to his loss from the Monifieth greens for a season but his time in the United States was considerably longer.

He went first to the Louisville Standard Country Club in 1911 and moved to the Audubon Country Club in the same city two years later. He remained there until 1954. He coached many good amateurs who went on to become professionals, most notably Bobby Nichols, 1964 USPGA winner, Herbert Warren Wind credits him with persuading Gay Brewer, winner of the 1967 Masters, to stick with his unorthodox swing.

Although clearly a loyal club professional, he won the first Kentucky Open in 1920 and was runner-up four times. He played in a War Bonds fund raiser at his home club in 1942 with Bing Crosby as his partner.

There was a huge turnout for his retiral dinner and, amongst other honours, the Audubon members paid for a trip back to Monifieth for Bobby and his wife. After retirement they moved to Alexandria, VA, and Bobby died there in 1970. He was inducted into the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame in 1984.

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