Club History continued
Innerleven's younger sister, Leven Golf Club, was founded on 20th March 1847. There are, however, references in old sources to golf being played over 3 holes between the windmill of the salt works and the mouth of Scoonie Burn in the early 1800s. The above date is the earliest that can be documented because on that date a Matthew Elder, in the name of a number of other gentlemen, presented the club with an inscribed Silver medal for annual play. This fact is the first record in the original minute book, but the heading immediately prior to that recording reads:
LEVEN GOLFING (sic) CLUB
Instituted April 22nd 1846
The club played over the golfing ground to the east of the town which was owned by the Christies of Durie and leased by them to a Mr Thompson of Scoonie Farm as grazing ground. In the early days the club had no rights of tenancy over this ground - only the right to "play over the links". For giving his permission Mr Thompson was made the first honorary member and later was made the gift of an easy "chair for all his kindness to the club".
The running of the links gradually fell on Innerleven and this must have contributed to the coolness between the three clubs - Leven Thistle having come into being in 1867. The Council in 1880 considered, and refused, a demand from Innerleven that the club's proportion of the Green Baillie's expenses for the upkeep of the green be increased from £5 p.a. to £6:10:0. It was obvious that Leven G.C. suffered tremendously from both the formation of Leven Thistle and the coming of Innerleven. By April 1882 an A.G.M. had to be cancelled - only the Captain and the Secretary attending! In 1883 when the Captain failed to appear, the club was forced to go to sleep for a while. The officials had the foresight to pay a nominal amount and preserve their right to play over the links up to 1890 when a new lease was to be prepared. This was done without the participation of Leven Golf Club and an attempt at reforming in 1893 failed when it was realised that the club would have no standing on the links.
When, in 1908, Lundin G.C. was taking sole occupancy of that part of the Links east of Mile Dyke, another attempt at resuscitating Leven Golf Club took place. Individuals approached the Superior of Leven and the Links, Christie of Durie, and persuaded him that future organisation of the links ought to be laid to a joint committee of three clubs, not two. This approach was successful and in April 1909 Leven Golf Club was back in business. The property occupied as a clubhouse was the original building now owned by a Mr J. Neaves from whom the club obtained a three year lease.
The reforming of the club was bitterly opposed by the other two local clubs and Leven Thistle, Innerleven, Lundin and Methil Golf clubs all sent apologies when invited to the inaugural dinner.
The first few years were far from easy. With a membership of about 130 the club found itself paying a third of the links upkeep along with Innerleven (150 members) and Leven Thistle (750 members). By the spring of 1914 the club was informing the Links Joint Committee that it could no longer meet its obligations. The Joint Committee expressed sympathy and suggested that if the club paid up to December 1913 a more equitable arrangement would be looked at. Reluctantly this was agreed.
After the war the club seemed to pick up where it left off and a minute of May 1920 showed the finances as improving. By November 1921 the club felt that it could once more take part in the links organisation.
By December 1923, with 200 members, the club was inspecting a new clubhouse in Balfour Street. However, the building called Stormont House came on to the market and this the club purchased in 1924 and remained there 1957 when the amalgamation with Innerleven Golfing Society took place.
The Town Council acquired the links in 1927 and the club was closely involved with its two sister clubs in negotiating, not without some difficulty, a new lease of the course.
The war years, naturally, had an adverse effect on the club fortunes. Members were lost to the services, competitions were suspended and the club was fighting off approaches from the military authorities to requisition the building for use by the Polish army and the Home Guard. The latter were, however, allowed to rent the top floor of the clubhouse. Resumption of full club activities took place in 1946 and one of the first decisions made was the appointment of a club professional, with no financial liability to the club! This appointment lasted only till April 1948.
When the links lease renewal came round again in 1951 the club considered that they could not continue being one of the lessees. The members at the Special General Meeting decided that the Town Council should run the links. However, wiser minds prevailed and within 3 months another general meeting had rescinded the previous position by a decisive majority. The club was still part of the system which re-signed the links lease in September 1952.
Amalgamation was soon to appear on the scene and it was not without a great deal of misgiving, and no small amount of opposition, that the decision to merge with the Innerleven Golf Club was taken. It was not until February 1957 that an Extraordinary General Meeting approved the merger by 56 votes to 13 - about 50% of the membership being present. The existing clubhouse was sold and on 1st September 1957 the members "flitted along the road" to occupy the present building, where in 1994 the members held "in fine style" a clubhouse centenary dinner.