Historic Scottish golf club marks member celebrating 100th birthday

George McLeod has been a member at Royal Burgess Golfing Society in Edinburgh for 47 years and still plays a few holes most weeks.

To celebrate his 100th birthday on 17 November, McLeod was asked to ‘drive in’ and duly hit what a fellow member described as a drive that was “strong and true”.

Standing in for club captain John Yuille, who could not be present due to a previous engagement, vice captain Willie Finlayson presented McLeod with a specially-struck medal to commemorate the event.

He also had the privilege of informing McLeod of the new 100 Up Trophy, which will be used to mark any future member who reaches 100 and drives a ball off the 1st tee at the Barnton club, which was formed in 1735 and lays claim to being the oldest golfing society in the world.

‘One of life's characters’

McLeod served his country in the Second World War, undertaking initial training at Dreghorn Barracks. As a private in the 4th Battalion, 52nd Division of KOSB, his first posting as a Bren Gun Carrier was to Northern Ireland.

Whilst there, he received further training with the Mountain Division Ski Dept. This was to be preparation for a tour of duty in Norway as a decoy/diversion tactic to the planned D Day Landings in France.

However, his boat was torpedoed in the North Sea. Fortunately he was rescued, and he was then posted to Belgium, where he served till the end of the war in 1945. Subsequently, he transferred to Germany, where he remained until his discharge from the Army in 1947.

In the same time he has been a member of Royal Burgess, McLeod has also been a member of the Society of High Constables of Edinburgh.

“George is one of life's characters and, thanks to decent health, still maintains a good interest in golf,” said John Anderson, a past captain at Kilspindie.