R.I.P. Archie Baird

We’ll never know the number of golfers he entertained, enlightened and informed, and it really doesn’t matter. Anyone who came in to Archie Baird’s golf museum at Gullane got a crash course in golf.

The great man has moved on to the Big 18 in the Sky, but his legacy lives on in his museum and the joy he gave golfers who had made the pilgrimage to East Lothian.

From Malcolm Duck, who shares this from Alistair Good, longtime head professional at Gullane:

We lost one of golf's warmest and most charming characters earlier today. Archie Baird gave those who were lucky enough to meet him, 95 fun filled years. His knowledge and love for golf made him one of the game's great sources of information. As a collector and archivist he educated many on the finer points of the game and particularly his love for foursomes play. His encyclopedic knowledge was regularly sought by many of the world's foremost collectors of historic golfing literature and artwork. He absolutely loved golf and this was clear for all to see. He loved his competitive foursomes matches at Gullane and even at 92, this picture captures well his cheeky, often mischievous satisfaction moments after winning another Dinner Match.

Archie always looked upon the bright side and although we will all miss him, thinking of him will always make us smile.

Our heartfelt thoughts are with his wife Sheila and family.

The tributes to this great man and brilliant character have just begun…

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We’re saddened to hear news of the passing of Archie Baird. For 40 years, his one-room museum was the prime golf-tourist attraction in Gullane, except he didn’t charge a penny. He just wanted to show off some exceptional antiques and, above all, give visitors an understanding of the game’s deep roots. The museum’s greatest treasure, of course, was Archie himself. I’ll always remember, no more than two minutes after the conclusion of our tour, seeing Archie appear on the first tee of the #1 course with an ancient pencil bag on his shoulder. He striped one down the middle and headed off, solo. Archie will be missed—our condolences to his many friends and family. Here he is pictured with Ben Crenshaw at the museum’s opening in 1980, and with @linkstostandrews in 2014. #golfhistory #golfscotland #gullanegolfclub

A post shared by @ mckellarmagazine on Dec 7, 2019 at 3:04pm PST

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Scotland lost one of golf's warmest and most charming characters recently. Archie Baird gave those who were lucky enough to meet him, 95 fun filled years. His knowledge and love for golf made him one of the game's great sources of information. As a collector and archivist he educated many on the finer points of the game and particularly his love for foursomes play. His encyclopedic knowledge was regularly sought by many of the world's foremost collectors of historic golfing literature and artwork. He absolutely loved golf and this was clear for all to see.

A post shared by Scotland, The Home of golf (@scotlandhomeofgolf) on Dec 8, 2019 at 10:22am PST