PRESIDENT Dwight D. Eisenhower, a keen lifelong golfer, paused before teeing off at Turnberry’s Ailsa course. Glancing at the 200-strong gallery around him, he acknowledged: “This is a pretty critical crowd for me. I don’t feel so good about it”.

After three practice shots he sent his drive straight down the middle of the fairway, and applause broke out.

On a golden autumn day in September 1959, this was Eisenhower's first game in two weeks, and his first time on a British course.

At the eighth hole he turned to the club professional, Ian Marchbank, and asked, “When are we coming to the easy holes?” When he became despondent about his performance, Marchbank said his pivot was faulty. “Yes, I’ve been told that before”, the President responded.

His best hole was the long seventh, where he had a birdie 4. From the sixth hole onwards he used an electrically-driven caddy car – the first that had ever been taken over the course.

Marchbank had advised him that the course par was a tough 71. Eisenhower went round in three hours in 89. Part of his scorecard can be seen above.

The presidential convoy had earlier arrived at Culzean Castle, where he had an exclusive suite that was his family’s holiday home from 1945 until his death in 1969.

Eisenhower, who been commanding general of the victorious forces in Europe during the war, was President between 1953 and 1961.

Golfweek magazine noted in 2009: “As our golfer in chief, [he] brought golf to the White House lawn and played nearly 800 rounds while in office. Not since Mary Queen of Scots has a head of state done so much to popularize the game”.

Turnberry itself is, of course, today known as Trump Turnberry, having been bought by the Trump Organisation in 2014.

Read more: Herald Diary