Discover Scotland's forgotten golf history at Musselburgh

June 16, 2003 By David Brice Special to GolfWeb

More then a hundred years have passed since Musselburgh's final Open and during that period, most have forgotten the role it played in golf history, yet it still stands and operates as a course that made a significant contribution to the game of golf.

For anyone with even a passing interest in one of the world's most historic games, Musselburgh is a golfing antiquity that can still be experienced, providing a unique opportunity to gain an appreciation for how impressive yesteryears golfers were. With the most basic of equipment they made some impressive accomplishments.

Located just east of the city of Edinburgh, the course is unlikely to impress visitors at first sight. Hemmed in by the horseracing track that now surrounds it, the course itself remains much the same as it was in the late 19th Century -- nine holes of flat linksland with some interesting bunkering and a lot of history. Today's layout is 2,608 yards, playing to a par of 34.

Appreciation for this, the oldest playing course in the world, is best gained by playing two consecutive rounds over the nine holes.

Musselburgh hosted the British Open a total of six occasions. (Provided to GolfWeb)

With a little pre-planning through your golf travel company, arrangements can be made to rent hickory shafted clubs for the first round. For the second round, play it with your own, modern day equipment. The difference in your two scores will amaze and undoubtedly give renewed interest in how those caddies and equipment makers of old, who were the golf professionals of their time, achieved such impressive scores.

But were they as good as their scores would imply?

Golf is a game of honor and integrity and perhaps the spectators, who witnessed those early British Opens, were not as honorable as the players they were supporting.

In the late 19th Century, Musselburgh was a center of golf club and golf ball manufacturing and the local citizenry were very much aware of the commercial importance of having a local as the acknowledged champion of the game. The locals had also gained a questionable reputation as ardent and oftentimes boisterous supporters of their local players.

It was not unusual for the overly enthusiastic, Musselburgh onlookers to crowd the course at the anticipated landing spot of tee shots and (perhaps accidentally) assist the ball of a favored player, move forward.

Whether this is fact or fiction is beside the point. Musselburgh remains a course that played an important, though barely remembered role in golf's early history. The opportunity to walk in the footsteps of those early champions of golf and relive their experiences should be grasped.

For some suggestions as to how Musselburgh can be included in your Scottish golf trip, click here.

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