The Ayton surname to this day is still a well recognized name on the streets of St Andrews, Scotland. The Ayton clan, was, and is, a multi-generational golf obsessed family from St Andrews. The family has had deep ties to both the ancient game and the Home of Golf for almost two centuries. So deep in fact, the 7th hole on the Jubilee course is still named "Ayton", honouring both the family legacy and their golf achievements. In 1946, the Ayton Trophy was created in their name and it is still competed for to this day. The Ayton family’s achievements, however, were not just limited to the United Kingdom, but their influence spanned from coast-to-coast within North America as well.

The Ayton dynasty began in the early 1800’s with William Ayton, a cabinetmaker by trade working in the town of St Andrews. Mr. Ayton was one of the many enthusiastic golfers at that time who were lucky enough to call the now revered golf links their own. William Ayton, being an early adopter of the game, was one of the eleven original founders of the then yet to be formalized 'St Andrews Golf Club' in 1843. Since its inception, the St Andrews Golf Club remains one of the oldest remaining golf clubs in the world today.

William Ayton was not only an advocate for the game’s formalization and organization, but he was largely considered one of the best players during his day. The company he would have kept included notable names like Alan Robertson, Old Tom Morris, Hugh Philip, Robert Forgan, Jamie Anderson, Willie Park Sr., the “Gypsy King” Mr. Thomas Reynolds, Archie Simpson, and others. On December 13th, 1894, he was made a life member of the St Andrews Club and it was declared on that day that all Club competitions shall in future be made open to him if he so wished to participate.

Born in 1857, William Ayton's only son David became an accomplished player and clubmaker in his own right. In the early 1870’s, Tommy Morris and Davie Strath began touring Scotland and competing in a string of exhibition challenge matches at various clubs – akin to a travelling title fight in the boxing world today. In one occasion, the duo was set to play the Old Course for an eye-popping £200, with side bets adding hundreds more. This was an incredible sum of money for that time. With huge crowds in attendance buzzing about the match, it has been told that on the morning of the first day’s play, Tommy Morris pointed to a boy caddie to carry his bag. That boy was young David Ayton.

Some years later, David Ayton went on to compete in numerous Open Championships with 3 top-10 finishes in the mid 1880’s (placed 3rd in 1885). He is also best remembered for an event that never took place. Various sources (including his own obituary in the Dundee Courier) refer to him taking 11 at the Road Hole, but a contemporary newspaper report gives his scores there as 6 and 7. Regardless, he placed his personal best of third in the 1885 Open Championship.

David held posts as professional at various clubs including Great Yarmouth, Warrack Golf Club, and Lincoln Golf Club. One of his early competitive successes as a professional was in a professional tournament was at Carnoustie.

David Ayton and his wife raised 4 sons (David Jr., Laurie, George, and Alex), all of which became highly skilled professional golfers, teachers, and club makers in their own right. Their father, David Ayton Sr., passed away at his home in St Andrews from health complications on January 30, 1931, at the age of 74. His wife also passed away in St Andrews a little over a decade after his death in April of 1944 at the age of 82.

David Ayton Jr.

The eldest son, David Ayton Jr., held posts in both England and Canada. As a youth in the late 1800’s, he caddied on many occasions for his father in challenge matches with the Kirkaldys, Tom Kidd, Jimmy Anderson, and other notable professionals of the day. David Jr. was considered a very good player when he was young, and it was said that he would not be seen walking the streets without a golf club in his hand.

Like Dr. Alister MacKenzie, David went on to serve in the Boer War at the turn of the century. While in South Africa, he apparently contracted malaria which subsequently took a toll on his health for the remainder of his life, calling it himself a “disability”.

Upon arriving back home in 1902, he was persuaded to go to London and take part in experiments and to test the novel rubber golf ball being developed. A few short years later, David Ayton was the foreman at one of the first factories in Britain that began manufacturing rubber golf balls. The Haskell golf ball had become very popular in the United States and Mr. Ayton was at the forefront of testing Britain’s response to the Haskell. He would often be seen testing and experimenting with these new rubberized, dimpled, golf balls on the local links. David not only helped develop the first successful rubber golf ball to be made and sold in the United Kingdom, but he played an instrumental role in the broader evolution of the golf ball in general. In addition to helping develop the new ball, Mr. Ayton also worked at the Kidderminister Club, and was also an instructor at the London School of Golf during this time.

In 1908, David returned to St Andrews and took up golf more seriously. Within a couple of years David Ayton Jr. becomes one of the best golfers in Scotland and turned professional in 1911. On September 11, 1911, David was appointed as the professional at the newly designed H.S. Colt course, Swinley Forest Golf Club. David was supposedly hired for the Swinley Forest job directly by the famous golf architect himself, H.S. Colt, who was also Club secretary at the time. While at Swinley Forest, David tutored and played with some of the most notable figures of the day in Britain including Winston Churchill, Lord Reading, and General Jamieson among others.

Like many his age at the time, David Ayton volunteered for service in the First World War and served with the Royal Artillery. Twice wounded and once gassed, David fortunately returned home to St Andrews in one piece after the armistice. It was at this point, sometime in 1922, that David was contacted by Point Grey Golf & Country Club located in Vancouver, Canada. Point Grey Golf & Country Club was formally established in 1922 and had just begun building itself a new golf course along the Fraser River. The first 8-holes of construction began on October, 1st, 1922. To compliment their new private members course, the club was looking to hire a best-in-class professional and somehow or another was put in contact with David Ayton.

Point Grey Golf & Country Club early 1930’s

After accepting the Canadian position, David Ayton emigrated to Vancouver in early 1923. Upon arrival to Point Grey G&CC, David Ayton helped convert the 8-hole pasture golf course into a full 18-hole layout sporting modern bunker arrangements and classic burns throughout. The full eighteen-hole golf course was officially opened on May 24, 1924, by a foursome of local professionals that included David Ayton, Davie Black of Shaughnessy, Jimmy Huish of Burnaby, and Alex Duthie of Jericho.

David was the professional at Point Grey until 1927 and he was instrumental in the courses early evolution and layout strategy. Mr. Ayton tinkered and improved the golf course for several years before returning home to St Andrews, in 1928, to be with his ailing father. That very same year, 1928, he competed in the St Andrews championship and won. He also went on to win the St Andrews Scratch Medal three years in succession.

Mr. Ayton left St Andrews to become the professional at the Panmure Golf Club, in 1932, (near Carnoustie) but resigned six years later due to poor health. Perhaps the lingering malaria complications from the Boer War. He gave up the game of golf for a short time and moved to Leigh-on-sea, Essex, where he conducted a tobacconist and confectionary shop.

During World War Two, David moved back to St Andrews where he concentrated on teaching young boys and girls the game of golf. By age 73, he had devoted most of his spare time, free of charge, to instructing youngsters. This is how he would spend the reminder of his days and this incredible legacy and gift of golf can still be been seen at St Andrews to this day.

Point Grey - Hole 12 - 1930's

David Ayton's Forgan crafted Mashie

Laurie Ayton

Laurie Ayton was perhaps considered the most skilled player of the four brothers and finished fourth in the 1910 Open Championship. He also won the Telegraph and Post Cup in 1906, and played as a professional for Scotland against England in 1910, 1911, and 1912. After a series of successes on the links, Laurie officially turned pro in 1911.

In 1919, he was hired as the new professional at Evanston Golf Club, near Chicago, Illinois. Arriving in 1920, Laurie quickly made a name for himself as a well respected golfer in the Chicago area playing many exhibition matches against some of the best at that time including Gene Sarazen, and Horton Smith. While at Evanston, he posted the new club record of 65 in 1926.

Laurie would remain the head professional at Evanston Golf Club for over a decade, and was a regular participant in the big money challenge matches of the day. He returned back to his home in St Andrews in 1932 after receiving word that his father had passed. Other than a short appointment as professional at Cleadon Club, South Shields in 1933, Laurie ended up staying in St Andrews for the reminder of his days -- even turning down job offers from places like Sunningdale Golf Club in 1937. During his time back home, Laurie was made an honorary life member at St Andrews Golf Club where he spent the remainder of his days playing.

Both Laurie and David became golf teachers at St Andrews and neither one ever returned to North America.

Laurie served as club captain in 1953, and his son, Laurie Ayton Jr. was on the 1949 Ryder Cup team - the same year Ben Hogan was the non-playing captain for the U.S. team.

George Ayton

George Ayton began his professional career at Kyles of Bute, Scotland, in 1901 where he remained for ten years. Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, George had become a teaching professional traveling all around Europe including Germany, Belgium, England, and the Czech Republic. Apparently, he even spent some time at the second-oldest golf course in the Czech Republic, Carlsbad, which had become a fashionable resort at the start of the twentieth century. Newspaper reports of the time suggest he was also at the Vienna club before taking up the professional’s post at Lombardszyte at Ostend in Belgium in 1912 from which he fled rapidly at the outbreak of the First World War. On returning to Scotland he enlisted, serving most of the war with the Army Service Corps.

After the War, George left for North America with, or at the very least, around the same time as his brothers around 1920. He went straight to the Regina Golf Club, Saskatchewan, Canada where he was hired to be their head professional. In his inaugural season he won the Western Canadian Championship held at his new home club on August 3-6, 1920. He apparently left immediately after his win to take part in the American golf championship starting on August 7th in Toledo, Ohio. Later in that same August he competed at the Canadian Open in Ottawa. George later moved east and served has the professional at the Kanawaki Golf Club in Montreal from 1921 to 1923.

George Ayton was later hired by the newly minted Donald Ross course, Biltmore Forest Country Club in North Carolina. He spent his time teaching and playing for Biltmore Forest from 1924 to 1928 where eventually died a sudden death, presumably a heart attack. George had planned on returning back to St Andrews that same year to be with his wife who had just made the voyage across the pond prior to his sudden death.

Alex Ayton

Less is known about the youngest brother’s movements - Alex, or sometimes called Alec, Ayton. Before crossing the pond to North America in 1920 with his brother George, Alex Ayton apparently held teaching positions at both Clacton-on-Sea and Swinley Forest. After making the voyage across the pond on a Cunard Canadian ship with his brothers, Alex went to work for his brother Laurie at Evanston Golf Club in Chicago. He then headed north and became the pro at Senneville G&CC in Quebec from 1922 to 1923.

Alex finished fourth at the Canadian Open in 1922, and in the same year was third at the Canadian Professional Championship and runner up in the Quebec Open Championship losing by 1 stroke.

At some point following his time in Quebec, Canada, he returned south of the border to join his brother Laurie once again at Evanston GC. He eventually found himself a teaching position at a club in Springfield, Illinois. Then, in 1934, as the St. Louis CC was about to pick its new head professional, Horton Smith (1934 & 1936 Masters winner), the club changed its mind last minute and hired Alex Ayton! A good player in his own right, Alex held the course record of 62 at St. Louis for many years and was a favorite among area players during his stay there.

Alex went on to play in several US opens between 1920 and 1940.

The Courrier - Saturday Jan 31 - 1931.jpg

This is all that I have found regarding the Ayton brothers and I’m still looking for information regarding their movements in North America. Any additional information or insights would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Riley

Update courtesy of Alain Chaput: Alex Ayton was pro at Senneville G&CC (not Braeside) from 1922 to 1923. George Ayton was pro at Kanawaki from 1921 to 1923.

The Ayton Brothers of St Andrews