The Oldest Golf Course on Earth!
The Society of Golfers show up regularly to play Musselburgh’s Old Golf Course, complete with hickory sticks, plus twos & fours.
“If you enjoy uncovering a slice of golfing history, take your divots at Musselburgh Links, The Old Golf Course — the oldest surviving golf course in the world.”
Contrary to popular belief, golf didn’t take root at St Andrews. Its earliest home was far more likely in Edinburgh, on the leafy greens of Bruntsfield and Leith Links, where merchants and city professionals embraced the emerging pastime with enthusiasm.
Playing golf at Bruntsfield Links under the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.
Those protozoic golfers shared the city’s public parks with grazing cattle and sheep, as well as archery practice — a lively but hardly practical mix. Seeking safer sanctuary, they gradually moved east to the silver sands of Musselburgh Links, an easy enough journey by horse and carriage.
By 1847, the arrival of the railway made the escape from the city even easier, allowing Edinburgh’s golfers to leave behind the crowded grounds and travel quickly to open links by the sea.
Putting out on the 1st. It takes a few holes to learn how to swing those whippy hickories properly.
TIMES ROMAN
As well as sporting the world’s oldest golf course still in existence, Musselburgh is Scotland’s oldest town. Established by the Romans in the 1st century, they built a bridge across the River Esk at Musselburgh en route to Edinburgh. That bridge still stands, although through the centuries, it has been reconstructed many times over using the original foundations. You can still walk across it today.
A LIVING MUSEUM
The court of Mary, Queen of Scots took readily to golf and played at Musselburgh when her entourage was in Edinburgh
“Golf as we know it was played in Musselburgh as far back as the 15th century - but probably earlier.”
It is evident that Mary, Queen of Scots played here in 1567. Old Tom Morris, Willie Park Snr & Jnr and Mungo Park contended golf’s earliest 'Open Championships’ when Old Prestwick, the original Open venue, became difficult for the galleries.
In 1886, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers relocated to this stretch of hoary linksland. They were hotly pursued by Bruntsfield Golfing Society who played at Musselburgh whilst waiting on their new parkland course to open at Cramond on the northeast side of Edinburgh.
Playing ‘the gowf’ on Bruntsfield Links.
THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Between 1874 and 1889 Musselburgh hosted the Open Championship on no less than six occasions. Old Prestwick hosted the first ‘Open’ but it became difficult to get the crowds safely around that hilly 12-holer. Musselburgh was much flatter and therefore safer.
Prestwick became difficult to move galleries around the steep-sided dunes so the Open Championship moved to Musselburgh
Members of the British Golf Collectors' Society strut their funky stuff at the oldest course in the world.
GOLF’S FIRST HALFWAY HOUSE
Mrs. Forman ran the pub until her death in 1888, aged 84. Her daughters took over and the Inn remained in the Forman family well into the next century.
At the far corner of the course where it turns towards the sea at the 4th green, there’s a white building that served the likes of Old Tom Morris and Willie Park a pint of warm, frothy beer through a hole in the wall. Mrs Foreman’s Public House operated for more than 200 years and golfers would stop at the 4th for a pint and a quick snack, the world’s first ‘Half-Way House’.
“They say her food was good too, Welsh Rarebit being the speciality of the house. ”
GOLFING ANTIQUITY
The Old Links at Musselburgh is a precious piece of golfing antiquity and I highly recommend you go along and play its exhilarating 9 holes. It’s ridiculously cheap and if you want the complete experience, hire a set of hickories although I warn you now, it’s a whole new, or should I say ‘old’ ball game!
Today, the course is surrounded by Musselburgh Racecourse and on race days, access can be limited. For more information, visit www.musselburgholdlinks.co.uk.
