Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland: Clubmakers

Registration
Edit profile

catalogue
auction
shopping cart
shipping

history
makers

search
faq
news
links
about
contact

Clubmakers

David T Millar
Carnoustie/Michigan
I can forgive the American press their Carnoustie fetish, ‘born only a mashie shot from the famed Scottish seaside course’ wrote the Detroit Free Press in July 1937 (seven and a half miles is a pretty impressive shot) but even the Dundee Courier in its obituary writes about a ‘Carnoustie-trained golf pro’ yet this ignores his origins as a ‘reid lichtie’, David Taylor Millar was born in Arbroath in 1890. His father, William Millar, did later move to Carnoustie and served as a councilor there.

Prior to the First World War David was studying mechanical engineering but this was interrupted by the war and he joined the Canadian Engineers. Gassed and wounded at Ypres he was advised, on discharge, to follow an outdoor career and turned to golf, a passion from his youth.

Davie came to the USA from Canada in 1920 to become professional at the Riverview Golf Club (now the Gowanie GC) in Harrison Township 170 miles north east of Detroit.

When his brother James Millar left the St Clair River Country club at the end of 1922, David took over for the coming season. In Michigan he he laid out Huron Shores at Port Sanilac, Rammler, and T. F. MacManus's private course in Bloomfield Hills.

Davie became the first professional and greenkeeper at the Clinton Valley Country Club in 1925, the first and only club open only to the Knights of St Columbus (the policy changed in 1928).

He remained here until 1943 when the club suspended opening shortly before the season began. Instead he became professional at the Meadowbrook club in Northville, MI. He died as a result of a heart attack in January 1946.

Search the catalogue for clubs by this maker