Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland: Clubmakers

Registration
Edit profile

catalogue
auction
shopping cart
shipping

history
makers

search
faq
news
links
about
contact

Clubmakers

Davie Black
Montreal/Ottawa/Vancouver

David Lambie Black was born in Troon on 15 September 1883. His golfing career began as a clubmaking apprentice to Willie Fernie and appears on the 1901 census with that profession, living at home win eight siblings

His appointment as professional at the Outremont club in Montreal was announced in January 1905 and he took up the position in March 1905. Outremont had been formed by the remainers of the first city club, those who had preferred to stay at the original location when other members moved to Lachine to establish what was to become Royal Montreal. It later merged with Kawanaki. Holder of the course record of 68 for Troon, his appointment was on the recommendation of Willie Fernie. Comparing him to other exports from Troon, the Campbells of Boston and Stewart Gardner of Garden City, Fernie reckoned Black was ‘quite the equal of any of them and a first-class golfer’.

He was soon knocking on the championship door: third in the Canadian Open in 1906 and 1907 and fourth in 1908. By 1908 he was professional at another Montreal club, Ranelagh, and I presume he was there for the next two years but have found no mention of him. In 1911 he moved to Ottawa and the post of professional at the Rivermead club. There was a second place for him in the Canadian Open of that year and, in 1913, he won the Canadian PGA tournament in its second year.

Remaining at Rivermead during the war there were no tournaments in Canada but he frequently played in charity matches to support the war effort or for the Red Cross. America’s entry into the war not being until 1917, Black found a position at the Victoria club in Riverside, CA, during the winter of 1916-17. During this interlude he was runner-up in the Southern California Open, a result he repeated in 1919 in which year he was also second in the California Open. Before leaving Rivermead he again won the Canadian PGA in 1919 and was elected Captain of that organisation the same year.

In 1920 he moved west to the Shaughnessy GC in Vancouver. He immediately tasted tournament success. Although the Canadian Open continued to elude him with a fourth place finish he won the Canadian PGA again in 1920 and for a fourth time the next year.

Davie Black remained professional at Shaughnessy until his retirement in 1945. As part of a grand leaving do he was made an honorary member of the club. And he could still wield the clubs. In March 1950 he played the Capilano course in a foursome with his card for the 9th, 10th and 11th holes showing birdie, eagle, hole-in-one.

His son, Kenny, was an excellent amateur player winning the BC Open against many professionals (including his father) in 1932, the Vancouver Golden Jubilee tournament of 1936, ahead of the likes of Byron Nelson and Jimmy Thomson, and became Canadian Amateur Champion in 1939.

Davie Black died in Vancouver on 25 March 1974, aged 90.

Search the catalogue for clubs by this maker