BUSINESS: CAPE'S NEW GOLF COURSE NAMED

A 27-hole golf course under construction at Prestwick Plantation alongside Bloomfield Road in Cape Girardeau has been named Dalhousie Golf Club.

The names "Prestwick" and "Dalhousie" are from Scotland, according to Cord Dombrowski of the Prestwick group, an authority on the history of golf and developer of a 900-acre links/residential community.

Prestwick is one of the most famous of Scotland golf courses. Dalhousie derives its name from the Earl of Dalhousie near Edinburgh, Scotland.

The property, which will house the new development at Cape Girardeau, was once owned by the sister of William Ramsey, who was known as the "Earl of Dalhousie." Dalhousie was the name of the province in which the Dalhousie Castle -- now a Scottish golf resort -- is located.

Rebecca Ramsey, who came to Southeast Missouri, married Alexander Giboney. In 1797, Giboney was granted land by the King of Spain. The land grant was named Elmwood.

A granddaughter of Rebecca Ramsey Giboney, married Louis Houck, and a Houck granddaughter married Robert Evans.

Pat Evans, a son of Robert Evans and descendent of Rebecca Ramsey, still lives in the Elmwood mansion and maintains about 70 acres of property. But about 900 acres of the original land grant was sold recently to become Prestwick Plantation.

Construction is continuing on the golf course.

"We're about 60 days ahead of scheduled," said Dombrowski. "The first 18 holes of the course have been rough-shaped, irrigation has been completed on seven holes, and storm drainage on 14 holes."