Allan Grant Gow was born in 1885 at Longforgan, Perthshire, the second son of Alexander Gow, a cotton weaver, and his wife Janet Henderson. Though sometimes listed as born in Gullane in 1892 or 1893, official records place his birth earlier in Perthshire. His family’s move brought him to East Lothian, and he grew up immersed in the traditions of Scottish golf.
After leaving North Berwick Public School, Allan apprenticed as a clubmaker with Ben Sayers & Son in the famous timber workshop by the eighteenth tee on North Berwick’s West Links. There he learned the classic skills of crafting hickory-shafted clubs—an expertise that would sustain him throughout his career.
Allan’s early passion for golf was clear: he joined the Dirleton Castle Golf Club, playing over Gullane Hill, and won the club’s prestigious Patron’s Medal in 1902.
Early Professional Career in England
In 1901, at a remarkably young age, Allan was appointed professional at Gog Magog Golf Club, located three miles southeast of Cambridge. His duties included giving lessons, maintaining and making clubs, and helping grow the game among England’s emerging middle class of golfers.
He returned to North Berwick in 1906 to enter The Open Championship at Muirfield. Though he did not qualify for the final two rounds, his entry signaled his competitive ambition and ongoing ties to his home region.
Tournament Career and Professional Appointments
Allan’s competitive record was substantial. In 1909 he played in the Cruden Bay Tournament, and in 1912 he featured in the prize list at the prestigious News of The World Tournament at Sunningdale. That same year, he represented Scotland in the Home Internationals against England, partnering the legendary Ben Sayers Sr. in the foursomes matches.
In 1913, Allan moved to Nairn Golf Club as its professional. The following year he played in a professional tournament at Port Seton & Cockenzie in East Lothian.
By 1916 he had relocated south again, serving at Banstead Downs Golf Club in Surrey for six years. During this period he lived at 48 Belmont Road, Epsom. In 1921 he was professional at Sutton Coldfield Golf Club.
Transatlantic Adventure and Return to England
In March 1922, Allan and his wife Catherine travelled to America to visit his brother Teddy at Edgewater Golf Club in Chicago. An article in the Edgewater Daily News described a historic moment in golf equipment history when Herbert C. Lagerblade demonstrated the new steel-shafted clubs. Allan Gow, as the new Edgewater professional that spring, was among those asked to test them. In a humorous episode, he promptly sliced three balls over the fence on the first tee—persuading the Western Golf Association committee that steel shafts were no magic cure!
Despite the brief comic mishap, Allan spent the 1923 season at Edgewater before returning to England in December. He was then appointed the first professional at Tyrrell’s Wood Golf Club in Leatherhead (1923–30), where he laid out the course to James Braid’s design. His hickory-shafted clubs, often marked “Allan Gow Cambridge,” remain sought-after by collectors to this day.
Continental Chapter and Founding of Girton Golf Club
In 1929, Allan was persuaded to join the Royal Zoute Golf Club in Belgium. There he won the Closed Professional Championship of Belgium—a testament to his enduring playing skill.
Returning to Cambridgeshire, he became involved in the development of 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯. In 1936, he purchased land at Girton and built a nine-hole course, laying the foundations for a club that would serve generations of local golfers. He was known for giving lessons in his own back garden at 8 Woodlands Park in Cambridge, nurturing the game at every level.
In 1923, Allan also laid out a nine-hole course at March Golf Club at Frogs Abbey, further expanding golf’s reach in the Fens.
Later Years and Panmure Appointment
In 1938, Allan accepted an invitation to become professional at Panmure Golf Club at Barry Links, one of Scotland’s most historic and respected courses. This appointment marked the culmination of a lifetime spent honing his craft as a clubmaker, teacher, and player.
By 1965, as he approached retirement, Allan showed characteristic generosity by allowing the members of Girton Golf Club to purchase the freehold of the course—securing its future for the community.
Passing and Legacy
Allan Gow died on 25 February 1974 in Girton, leaving behind a legacy as one of golf’s classic Scottish professionals: a skilled clubmaker, a patient teacher, a canny competitor, and a tireless advocate for the game.
In 2000, in a fitting tribute, Dirleton Castle Golf Club—where he had once won the Patron’s Medal as a young man—presented the Allan Gow Trophy for the first time to the winner of their Spring Medal, honoring the memory of their distinguished former member.
Allan Gow’s life perfectly exemplifies the story of the early 20th-century Scottish professional: born among the dunes and links of East Lothian, apprenticed in the classic craft of clubmaking, and journeying across Britain and beyond to spread the game he loved. From Gullane and North Berwick to Cambridge, Chicago, Belgium, and back again, Allan Gow’s career stands as a testament to golf’s enduring power to connect places, people, and generations.