R&A World Museum of Golf

Catherine Spiers, General Sir Hope Grant, Sir Francis Grant and John Grant, photograph by Rodger, St Andrews c 1861. Private Collection.

The Thomas Rodger photograph which I selected for the front cover of my book has taken me down an unexpected avenue! Following my October talk to the Literati of the Links, which is a group of writers about the history of golf, I am delighted to have been invited to present a longer, illustrated talk about Three Perthshire Golfing Brothers at the World Museum of Golf on 18 April.

The three brothers are:

John Grant, who was an early Captain of both the R&A and the Royal Perth Golfing Society. He also features in prime position in the famous painting by Charles Lees of The Golfers.

Sir Francis Grant, also a member of both the R&A and the Royal Perth Golfing Society, who painted the famous picture of The First Meeting of the North Berwick Golf Club, of which he was also an early member, and the portrait of his friend John Whyte-Melville which hangs in the Big Room of the R&A.

General Sir Hope Grant K.C.B., who was the best golfer of the three brothers and a medallist at both St Andrews and Royal Perth.

In my post publication research for this talk I have uncovered some interesting information about the Grants and Victorian era golf, and I am off to Royal Blackheath Golf Club to meet both a longtime member of that club and also the historian from Royal Wimbledon Golf Club to discuss the connections at those clubs of the three Grant brothers.