Plaque Dedicated to Allan Robertson Unveiled on Golf Place

A commemorative plaque honouring the golfing legend Allan Robertson has been unveiled outside 22 Golf Place. Planning permissions were approved by Fife Council in late January. This project was proposed by the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation, who have successfully campaigned for three golfing icons to be honoured in St Andrews. As well as Allan Roberston, Tom Morris and Jamie Anderson are also being memorialised with plaques outside the sites of their former residences.

The plaque reads, “Allan Robertson (1815-1859): Champion golfer, lived in a house on this site.” Its design is inspired by the English “blue plaque scheme,” which aims to display details of significant figures to the public. This inscription is one of several monuments dedicated to Robertson around St Andrews; others include the R&A equipment testing facility named Allan Robertson House and Allan Robertson Road Drive.

Allan Roberston grew up surrounded by the sport, first working for his family-owned golf ball business. He and his father would go on to hold the title of champion golfer for a total of twenty-four years between 1830 and 1859. In the wake of Robertson’s sudden death in 1859 at the age of 43, the Open Championship was created. This tournament, which has run almost every year since 1860, is set to return to the ‘Home of Golf’ in 2027.

Moreover, Robertson’s scientific approach has lived on through his technical contributions to the game. When The Saint asked for insight from the St Andrews Golf Society on Robertson’s legacy, a spokesperson stated that “several of the innovations introduced by Robertson are still evident in St Andrews and the golfing world today.” Such innovations include the first use of iron clubs. The spokesperson also emphasised Robertson’s reshaping of the Old Course itself, stating that he is the reason why the course has a double green which is “now one of its most recognisable features.”

The St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation is a charitable organisation which aims to “conserve, improve, and develop” the town’s heritage for public enjoyment. Many passionate volunteers help run this foundation, including golf historian Roger McStravick, who wrote the book Allan Robertson of St Andrews, the King of Clubs, 1815-1859. This biography is set to chronologise Robertson’s golfing career and return him, as the author puts it, to his “rightful place as the peerless and indisputable King of Clubs.”

On behalf of the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation, McStravick spoke to The Saint about the cultural and historical significance of Allan Robertson. “Allan was the game’s first superstar,” he stated. Robertson was even the first professional golfer to be photographed, emphasising his claim to stardom. “He was a St Andrean through and through,” McStravick noted, “and we, in St Andrews (and golf), are all the richer for it.”

Indeed, Robertson’s legacy also lives on in his golfing mentee Tom Morris, colloquially known as ‘Old Tom Morris’ and ‘the Grand Old Man of Golf’. In October 2024, a bronze statue of his likeness, designed by Scottish sculptor David Annand, was ceremonially revealed on The Scores. While the statue has immortalised this proclaimed hero of the sport, it has been repeatedly vandalised since its erection: first in November 2024, and again in February. Both incidents led to the detachment of the statue’s accompanying golf club. McStravick is leading efforts to restore the sculpture and prevent further damages through a GoFundMe page. In an X post from 5 February, McStravick shared a link to this fundraiser and vowed to match each donation made in the first 48 hours. McStravick wrote that “with the club head stolen, this is going to be an expensive fix,” as the piece will need to be recast. He also proposed affixing the club to the statue's coat to safeguard it from future attacks.

It is clear that the continued honouring of local figures remains a relevant and important issue in St Andrews, and this new plaque signifies the continuation of such traditions.

Image by Wikimedia Commons