Musselburgh Links Course Review
GF Round: £17 Mon-Fri, £18.70 Weekends
Par 34, 2,874 yards
Slope 120
GM Verdict A living history lesson of golf, and a must play for its history value alone
Favourite Hole The opening hole, a monster par 3 across the race course to a well-sited green
Golf is documented to have been played here as long ago as 1672. Arguably the oldest golf course still in existence, Musselburgh Links hosted six Open Championships up until 1889. At this time, it was also the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers before their move to Muirfield. The course runs through the popular race-track to the western end of East Lothian.
The opening hole is played over the racetrack to a beautifully sited green
The course opens with its toughest examination from the whites, a 240-yard par 3 that is actually 100 yards shorter from the yellows.
The par-4 second hole just after sunrise
The 2nd, somewhat unencouragingly called The Graves, is a gentle par 4 with the green just short of an ocean of gorse.
Barracks Entry is the third hole, a short par 4
The same gorse lines the left of the 3rd, which also has fairway bunkers as well as one that lines the left side of the green.
Mrs Formans is the SI1 par-4 fourth at the far end of the course
The 4th is the first of the two back-to-back holes whose greens are outside the racetrack. In days gone by, the green here had a pub immediately beyond for mid-round sustenance. Sadly, this became a private home 5 or 6 years ago, so the best way to achieve a feeling of well-being is to hole a putt for par!
Looking back down the second of the short holes, the fifth
You now head for home via the shortest par 3 on the course, albeit one that is still over 180 yards from the back tee.
There is a steeply sloping green on the par-4 sixth
Back inside the racetrack, the 6th is a short par 4 where the real trouble comes in the form of a severely sloping green.
Hole seven, the Bathing Coach, is the only par 5
There is a fair walk back to the next tee, your reward being that as a par 5, this is probably the most scoreable hole on the course. Avoid the sand, and 3-putting, and there is a good chance of success.
The eighth, Hole Across, is another very long par 3
The 8th is actually a ‘new; hole, albeit now 150 years old as it was created in 1870 in preparation for hosting later Open Championships.
The closing hole is a right to left dogleg
The round finishes with one of the most attractive holes on the course, a two-shotter that curves round to the left to a very pleasingly situated green site.
For a real step back in time along Scotland’s Golf Coast, hickory clubs are available for hire. No-one is claiming that this is at the top of the list of the best golf courses in East Lothian, or that it will get your heart racing with its wow-factor and views. But that doesn’t mean it’s not more than worth the very modest green fee for playing a course that has hosted six Open Championships. If not quite a must-play, it’s certainly a really-should-play for all those interested in the history of the game we love.
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