Tributes have been paid to George Grant, a past captain of St Andrews Golf Club, who died peacefully aged 82 after a long battle with cancer.
There was standing room only in St Andrews Golf Club as the funeral service was conducted by the St Andrews Community Hospital chaplain, the Rev Dr James Connolly.
After the service, the coffin was piped from the golf club to the tune of ‘Amazing Grace’ before, fittingly, George was driven across the Old Course next to Grannie Clark’s Wynd as a final mark of respect, before committal at the St Andrews Western Cemetery.
His son Bill said: “This may seem a strange venue to some, however, his passion, his religion, was golf and his last wish was that we hold everything ‘at the club’.
“In an age where some people don’t even know who their next door neighbours are it’s comforting to know that here in the town we still have such caring and compassionate people in our community.”
Born in Strathkinness on October 12 1933, George was brought up in the village with his sisters Mary and Ann, and educated at Madras College.
He played rugby for the school and football for Kemback, St Andrews Swifts and finally Dundee United.
But football in those days was more fish suppers than Ferraris and, with a young family, he saw his future in post war house construction. He served his time as an apprentice plasterer with Hutton of Ladybank who had a yard in Argyle Street.
It was on these frequent bus journeys into St Andrews that he met his wife to be Jean, a ‘clippie’ on the buses. She stayed on the edge of Cupar at Tarvit Lodge. A romance followed and they were married in early 1955.
They had several short stays in rented accommodation outside Cupar and then settled in St Andrews to raise a family, eventually securing a council house in Lamond Drive.
It was then that the golf bug hit and a life-long association began with St Andrews Golf Club, which he joined in 1956.
The expansion of his family – and St Andrews- led to a new council house on the then edge of the town at Kirkaldy Court, and it was here he would spend the next 50 odd years.
A regular at St Andrews Golf Club, he was appointed vice-captain in 1976 and became captain in 1978. He famously awarded honorary membership of the club to golfing legend Jack Nicklaus during the 1978 Open championship.
Like many in the building trade the heavy, demanding, physical work eventually took its toll and, in his early 50s and after his first hip replacement, it was time to find lighter work.
His love of the game made him the ideal candidate when a position as a golf steward at the Old Course Hotel came up allowing him to mix business and pleasure. Promoted to chief golf steward at the hotel, this gave him the opportunity to ‘meet and greet’ golfers and celebrities from all over the world. Sean Connery, Bruce Forsyth, Peter Allis, Gary Player, Prince Rainier of Monaco and many more all passed through his hands. It was part of his job to ensure they secured a tee time on the Old Course.
Company policy at the Old Course dictated he retire at 65. However, one State-side company decided it was too good an opportunity to miss and offered to set him up at home as their Scottish representative.
He organised golf tours for their wealthy American clients throughout Scotland and Ireland and ensured their stay in Scotland was as memorable as possible.
The terrorist atrocities of September 11, 2001 saw an end to wealthy Americans and their dreams of playing the Old Course, at least for a while. However, now in his late 60s, this gave George more time to spend with his grandsons. He could regularly be seen at Cameron Reservoir, outside St Andrews, rowing Grant out onto the water for some fishing or encouraging William from his spot on the bank as he filled in his crossword puzzles. He also started to take a keen interest in cooking.
“Well,” he said. “We can’t let the trout go to waste!”
In his 70s he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, like everything in life he faced it head on and refused to give in. After successful treatment he enjoyed a number of years of reasonable health before, like many of his contemporaries, it struck again, and this time there would be no coming back.
Predeceased by his wife Jean who died suddenly in 1997 aged 66, he is survived by his daughter Frances, who works in St Andrews Tesco, sons Bill and David, and grandsons Grant and William.