Musselburgh Links
Encyclopedia
Musselburgh Links in Musselburgh
, East Lothian
, Scotland
, is generally recognised as the oldest golf course
in the world, and the oldest on which play has been continuous. Certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records, there is documented evidence that golf was played at the links
in 1672, and it is reputed that Mary, Queen of Scots, played there in 1567.
Musselburgh was one of the three courses which staged The Open Championship
in rotation in the 1870s and 1880s, alongside Prestwick
and the Old Course at St Andrews
. It was selected because it was used by the prestigious Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, and it hosted six Opens in all, the first in 1874 and the last in 1889. When the Honorable Company built itself a private club at Muirfield
, Musselburgh dropped out of the rotation for the Open. It left a lasting legacy to the game however. The four and a quarter inch measurement of a golf hole was the width of the implement used to cut the holes at Musselburgh and, in 1893, the R&A adopted the measurement as a mandatory requirement for holes.
Musselburgh is a now a publicly owned course, administered by East Lothian Council. The course still has just nine holes, and is a par 34. The fact that there are only nine holes severely restricts its appeal, and memberships are readily available and inexpensive. Season tickets for course play only are also available.
winners at Musselburgh Links:
55.9467367°N 3.0364323°W
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, is generally recognised as the oldest golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the world, and the oldest on which play has been continuous. Certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records, there is documented evidence that golf was played at the links
Links (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
in 1672, and it is reputed that Mary, Queen of Scots, played there in 1567.
Musselburgh was one of the three courses which staged The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in rotation in the 1870s and 1880s, alongside Prestwick
Prestwick Golf Club
Prestwick Golf Club is located in the town of Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is approximately southwest of Scotland's largest city, Glasgow. Prestwick is a classic links golf course, being built on the rolling sandy land that "links" the beach and the land further inland...
and the Old Course at St Andrews
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...
. It was selected because it was used by the prestigious Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, and it hosted six Opens in all, the first in 1874 and the last in 1889. When the Honorable Company built itself a private club at Muirfield
Muirfield (Scotland)
Muirfield is a privately owned links which is the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Located in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Forth, Muirfield is one of the golf courses used in rotation for The Open Championship.Muirfield has hosted The Open...
, Musselburgh dropped out of the rotation for the Open. It left a lasting legacy to the game however. The four and a quarter inch measurement of a golf hole was the width of the implement used to cut the holes at Musselburgh and, in 1893, the R&A adopted the measurement as a mandatory requirement for holes.
Musselburgh is a now a publicly owned course, administered by East Lothian Council. The course still has just nine holes, and is a par 34. The fact that there are only nine holes severely restricts its appeal, and memberships are readily available and inexpensive. Season tickets for course play only are also available.
The Open Championship
This is the list of The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
winners at Musselburgh Links:
| Year | |Winner | |Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | Total | ||
| 1874 |  Mungo ParkMungo Park (golfer) Mungo Park was a member of a famous family of Scottish golfers. He was born at Quarry Houses in Musselburgh, which was to become one of the three towns that shared hosting responsibilities for The Open Championship through the 1870s and 1880s. He learned golf as a boy, but then spent 20 years as a... 1st |
75 | 84 | 159 |
| 1877 | Jamie Anderson Jamie Anderson (golfer) James "Jamie" Anderson was a nineteenth century professional golfer, who won The Open Championship three times.Anderson was born in St Andrews, Scotland. His Open Championships were at Musselburgh in 1877; Prestwick Golf Club in 1878; and St Andrews in 1879... 1st |
82 | 78 | 160 |
| 1880 | Bob Ferguson Bob Ferguson (golfer) Robert Ferguson , was a Scottish golfer who won a hat-trick of titles at The Open Championship in 1880, 1881 and 1882. He was especially noted for his putting. He is one of only four men who have won The Open three years in a row... 1st |
81 | 81 | 162 |
| 1883 | Willie Fernie 1st |
75 | 83 | 158 PO |
| 1886 | David Brown David Brown (golfer) David "Deacon" Brown was a Scottish golfer. He was a roofing slater by trade and a keen golfer. In 1886 he was working in Musselburgh when The Open Championship was about to be played. John Anderson, who was secretary of the Musselburgh Club at the time, invited him to play and provided him with a... 1st |
79 | 78 | 157 |
| 1889 | Willie Park, Jr. 2nd |
78 | 77 | 155 PO |
- Note: Superscript number besides the player's name is the number of the Open Championship in their respective careers.
External links
55.9467367°N 3.0364323°W