Musselburgh Links

Musselburgh Links in East Lothian is one of the oldest golf courses in the world. The nine-hole public course sits beside the Firth of Forth, with the town of Musselburgh close by. Two clubs share the course: Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club and Musselburgh Links Ladies Golf Club. Golf has been played here since at least 1672, when records show the game was organised on the links. Mary, Queen of Scots, is said to have played nearby in 1567. The course was once seven holes, then grew to eight in 1838 and nine in 1870. The course once hosted major championships. It was one of three venues used for The Open Championship in the 1870s and 1880s alongside Prestwick and St Andrews. Six Opens took place here, starting in 1874 and ending in 1889. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers played here before moving to Muirfield. In 2010, the first tee briefly became a heliport when a royal helicopter landed due to fog. The course also shaped golf’s rules. The size of a golf hole was set at four and a quarter inches after the holes were cut with that tool at Musselburgh. In 1893, the Royal and Ancient made the measurement standard for all courses. The flat, windswept links stretch beside the sea, offering a quiet place to play nine holes. The turf is firm and fast, typical of links land. Visitors find a simple, historic course where golf has been played for centuries.