Some of the effects of the war on the Club occurred, in fact, before the September 3rd declaration of war, and this must obviously have been true for the whole of the country.

In July 1939 the Committee discussed allowing golf facilities to 20 un-named militiamen in the Army Pay Corps. A subscription of 25/- per head for up to 20 men, whose identity would change, was quoted.

Rationing strictures were imposed on the Club, as elsewhere, and its effects were felt as early as September 1939 when the stewardess, Miss Chisholm, was instructed to cut off the supply of hot water to the wash basins in view of the coal and gas rationing. This water supply was restarted in January 1946 when the stewardess was instructed to light the boiler on Saturdays and Wednesdays only.

In 1942 the Secretary had to apply to the local Food Office for a restricted licence to allow for the service of light meals in the Clubhouse and for a permit for soap for the Clubhouse. An application had also to be made for clothing coupons to enable the Club to purchase towels etc.

In order to repair fencing, permits were required from the Timber Control department for posts and the Department of Agriculture for wire.

Our coal merchant reported in 1945 that he could make no further deliveries to the Club until a permit was obtained from the fuel overseer.

The committee decided to supply the Greens Staff with rubber boots and a permit had to be sought to do this.

An application for coupons to obtain overalls for the House Staff was turned down on the grounds that they were not employed for more than 22 hours per week in the preparation and serving of food.

But it was in the bar that the rigours of rationing appear to have been felt most deeply by the members. In August 1941 the Club's whisky quota was reduced to 50% of the pre-war purchases. Then the local brewery (Wrights) refused to supply bottled beer as the Club had purchased none from them on the same month of the previous year. Things became so difficult from 1942 onwards that members were restricted to a nip per day and temporary members were supplied at the stewardess's discretion.

Towards the end of 1946, liquor supplies were still difficult. On one hand the additional supply of 'one mixed case' per month was negotiated with Messrs. R.B. Smith & Sons but on the other, Messrs. Aitchisons had to discontinue the supply of 80/- Ale in favour of 70/-Ale. This to be sold at 6½d per half pint!

The call-up of members to the Forces was felt very early in the war and was to continue right through until well after the end of hostilities. In all some 19 ladies and 119 men were reported at Committee Meetings as having been called up. 11 members, S.S. Dow, W.M. Clark, J. McKeith, I.R. Wood, J.T. Douglas, J.D. Cargill, J.C. Mullan, F. Thomson, D. Stobie, G. McLaren and A. Pretzell were the first to go and were reported at the meeting on 9th November 1939.

The Committee had to decide on action to be taken on the position of members in the Forces and also military personnel stationed in Perth with an interest in golf. The decisions raached were that (a) Members in the forces would remain as Members but would pay no subscription (b) Military personnel in Perth would be offered honorary membership of the Club but would pay 6d per round or 10/6d for six months golf (c) Teachers evacuated to Perth in charge of evacuees would have similar membership with a charge of 1/- per round or 15/- for six months (d) Entry fees for competitions were put in a fund which would be used to send a postal order to each member in the Forces and a food parcel to those who were prisoners of war (of which there were already four when these decisions were reached in January 1940). These donations were made every Christmas for the duration of hostilities.

After the repatriation of prisoners of war, one returning member - local businessman Mr. lan Wood - was moved to write to the committee and, in consideration of the Club's treatment of members in the Forces, donated £10 to the Club for some special purpose. At the time this was equivalent to more than 4 years annual subscription.

One minor problem arose concerning servicemen stationed in Perth playing on the Hill. This was that, as they were unknown to the staff, a uniform was sufficient identification and gave access to the Clubhouse and course. However, King's regulations appear to have called for an officer, as distinct from other ranks to be suitably dressed for the sport in which he was engaged! It was thus difficult to distinguish genuine servicemen from gate-crashers.

Early in the war the Club was advised that if the course was not used as grazing land, then the Ministry of Agriculture could probably require suitable areas to be ploughed up and put under crops. The course was consequently advertised for rent as grazing, which lasted throughout hostilities. It was hoped that the rent received would cover the cost of making the boundary fences stock-proof and indeed erecting a new fence around the Clubhouse and car park areas. Apart from the obvious inconvenience of sheep on the course, complaints were regularly received from members about the grass being too long on the fairways. When, in response, the fairways were cut, complaints followed from the tenant that we had removed the source of feed for his sheep.

In those days the fairways were cut by gang mower pulled by a hired-in horse and driver from Messrs. Wordie & Sons at 22/6d per day. On querying a subsequent account, the committee were reminded that travelling time of the horse and driver from the stables to Craigie Hill and back was chargeable!

In the summer of 1940, a complaint was received from one of residents in Pickembere Cottages at Buckie Braes that one of the sheep from Craigie Hill had escaped through a hole in the fence and eaten 200 of his cabbage seedlings worth 7/-. On investigation it was found out that one of his neighbours had deliberately cut the fence in order to graze his goat within the course!

During the war years the manufacture of golf balls came to an end, and consequently, golf balls were worth their weight in gold, In early 1942, Joe Anderson, the professional attached to the club, intimated that he could now re-cover balls for members if they could supply an old ball in reasonable condition. The resultant ball was just as famous in the skies of Perth as its namesake -the Supermarine Spitfire!

A ball marker was provided in the clubhouse and each member used a code number so that balls found on the course could be returned to their owner. This system did not work too well - it is not clear why!

Letters were received from the Red Cross, the Ministry of Supply etc. asking for old golf equipment for use in hospitals and recuperation centres.

Fire watching was instituted for 'Business Premises' in 1941 and the Town Clerk advised the Club that it came within the provision of this order. Therefore a stirrup pump and buckets of sand and water were provided in the Clubhouse, and the Club became members of the joint scheme for the area organised by Mr. Johnstone, the Sub-Postmaster at Cherrybank. The Head Greenkeeper, Bob Brown, was instructed to take the Club's turn at fire watching.

In June 1942, John Dewar & Sons requested permission to store empty sherry casks on Craigie Hill until further notice. This was agreed and the quarries behind the 16th tee and at the curling pond were filled with pyramids of barrels. These remained until 1946 when the export of whisky recommenced. The Club enjoyed a rent of £25 per annum for this service, a not inconsiderable sum at the time. However, this rent did little to compensate for the sound of a precious ball rattling its long path within the stacks of barrels to an irretrievable spot 20 or 30 feet down.

When the local defence volunteers (LDV) later to become the Home Guard, were formed, the Hill was used by them for various exercises. They obtained the use of a shed at the curling pond and re-erected another from there at the 5th medal tee. A drystone blockhouse was built under the tree below the Kop on the left of the Seventh Fairway and this serviced two shallow bunker type trenches on the brow of the hill in the Seventh Fairway. (When the blockhouse was demolished after the war, it was used to fill a ditch which extended between the Ninth and Tenth Fairways).

A barbed wire defence system was erected along the southern border of the course. This consisted of a network of horizontal barbed wire stretched on posts about 2ft above the ground and about 10ft wide on either side of the wall and a roll of barbed wire on top of the wall.  The grass in this area could not be cut, nor could a club be swung and an out of bounds ball could only be retrieved by the agile or foolhardy.  It is not known what local rule subsisted for a ball within the wire area - even if it could be found!

Other consequences of the war affecting the Club included:
1.  All Clubhouse windows had to be provided with black-out curtains and the skylights painted over.
2.  In July 1940 a letter was received from Lord Provost Nimmo complaining that it had come to his notice that certain members of Craigie Hill were indulging in defeatist talk in the Club and pointing out that they were thereby liable to prosecution.
3.  In October 1939 it was noticed that one of the Assistant Greenkeepers had not appeared at work.  On enquiry it was thought that he had been called up to the Auxiliary Fire Service.  On this assumption a letter was sent to him terminating his employment but asking him to re-apply at the end of hostilities when his application would be given priority.  Meantime a new assistant was started in his place.  Two months later he was discharged from the A.F.S. and re-applied for his job which had of course been filled - so his two months service cost him his job.

4.  During the war it proved difficult if not impossible, to get mowers sharpened.  Greens Staff were called up and boys were employed from 14 years of age to their call-up.  The Police apprehended and questioned a man who set up his easel on the Kop to paint the view down the estuary of the Tay. He was not, however,  a spy but just an innocent amateur artist.

FIRST WORLD WAR:  1914-1918
Very little had been left recorded In the annals of the Club concerning the First War.  However it appears amongst other events the following decisions were made:
1.  All competitions were cancelled until hostilities ceased.
2.  Donations were made to war charities and to wounded soldiers in the barracks and Perth Royal Infirmary from Club funds.
3.  Members on active service had their subscriptions reduced by half.
4.  It was decided, after consideration of a letter of request on the subject from the Prime Minister, that it was not practicable to use the course for cultivation.
5.  Permission was given by the Captain for volunteers to use the course for manoeuvres.

Finally, it is interesting that the first mention of the need for a new Clubhouse appeared in May 1943, but this was deferred until after the war!