From 1860 until 1872, the British Open was played exclusively over the links of Prestwick Golf Club, located on the west coast of Scotland. St. Andrews was added to the rota in 1873 and in 1874, a third course, Musselburgh was brought in. This trio of links courses would control the Open for a further 17 years as the championship was rotated exclusively between the three venues.
Whichever course was the venue, the Open would be decided over 36 holes: Three rounds would be played when the Open was hosted at the 12-hole Prestwick, two rounds when the venue was at 18-hole St. Andrews and four rounds when the nine-hole Musselburgh was the venue.
After the 1889 event, the decision was made to eliminate the nine-hole layout at Musselburgh, substituting it with Muirfield, new home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers who had previously been using Musselburgh as their home course.
Not coincidentally, The Honourable Company had also contributed £10 toward the purchase of the now famous claret jug that is today's British Open trophy. Political pressures took The Open away from Musselburgh, but during its run, it had hosted the Open on a total of six occasions.
Winners of those early Opens hosted by Musselburgh, produced champions who are firmly engrained as the first heroes of golf; Mungo Park, Bob Ferguson, David Brown and Willie Park Jr. When playing your round, bear in mind that the course record is still held by Willie Park who shot a 32 using hickory clubs and playing with a gutty ball.
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Information: • Taste golf's history with our Greywalls Grand Getaway |
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.
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| Musselburgh hosted the British Open a total of six occasions. (Provided to GolfWeb) |
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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