Situated only ten miles from Edinburgh city centre, in Prestonpans, Royal Musselburgh is the sixth oldest golf club in the world. Laid out on elevated ground overlooking the Firth of Forth, this wonderful parkland course demands precision from the tee and accurate approach shots to shape a score. Renowned for its magnificent greens and well-groomed fairways, Royal Mussleburgh was originally laid out by multiple Open champion and renowned golf architect, James Braid. ‘Prestongrange House’, the baronial clubhouse, at Royal Mussleburgh, is without doubt one of the most impressive clubhouses to be found anywhere in Scotland, and a warm welcome is guaranteed within for visiting guests. Royal Mussleburgh Golf Club offers excellent practice facilities that are open to visitors and is a fantastic venue to play at while enjoying a Scottish Golf Break. Golf Scotland. Play Royal Mussleburgh. Golf Edinburgh & the East.
History: Royal Musselburgh Golf Club has a traceable history dating back to 1774 as their Old Club Cup has winners listed back to that year. Although there is a statement in the 1845 Statistical Account of Scotland, which suggests a golf club was actually formed even earlier, in 1760. However, working from the traceable date of 1774, Royal Musselburgh is still the sixth oldest golf club in the world and The Old Club Cup is the oldest golf trophy still competitively played for across the world.
For their first 150 years, the (Royal) Musselburgh club played over the Old Course at Musselburgh and saw it grow to nine holes by 1870. They shared it with other old and prestigious clubs, most notably, for the last years of the 19th Century, the (Royal) Burgess, The Honourable Company of Leith Golfers and Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society. After years of meeting in various places around Musselburgh, the club built a clubhouse in Links Place. The Honourable Company from Leith built their clubhouse next door at No 10 Links Place. When the later decamped in 1891 to Muirfield, the Musselburgh club moved into their old clubhouse.
On 19th December 1876, HRH Duke of Connaught, Hon President of the Musselburgh club granted permission for it to use the term Royal. He remained patron of the club until his death in 1942. His son HRH Prince Arthur was Hon Vice President from 1912 until his death in 1938.
In 1925, after 150 years of crowded play at Musselburgh Old Course, the Royal Musselburgh moved to Prestongrange House at Prestonpans, which they took on a twenty-five year lease from the Grant Suttie family. The new course was first designed by James Braid and is a stunning example of his finest work. The course was then modified in the 1930s by Mungo Park. Unusually for a private club, they still lease the grounds on which the course sits, in this case, since 1958, from the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation.
The course: Royal Musselburgh is a wonderful parkland course, sitting on elevated ground above the Firth of Forth, and is a stunning example of architect, James Braid’s, finest work. Relatively short, in modern terms, and containing only five holes over 400 yards in length, making greens in regulation is achievable for the majority of players. However, distance is not the main consideration at Royal Musselburgh – precision off the tee and accuracy of approach shots will shape your score. Offering a gentle opening and a tough home stretch over the final five holes, Royal Musselburgh is renowned for its magnificent greens, well-groomed fairways, and its splendid baronial clubhouse. The course at Royal Mussleburgh Golf Club is an eighteen hole par, 70 (men), par 73 (women), track. It has tees ranging from 5,587 to 6,254 yards.
SGB Signature Hole: Name: The Gully. Number: Hole 14. Measuring 149 yards (M) and 118 yards (W) from the tee box, this innocuous looking par 3 seems reasonably simple. But with all of the trouble hidden from view, the first shot can neither afford to be short or left. A large, deep gully awaits any ball on either of these trajectories. Three fierce bunkers, two front right and one front left, guard the small green, so, take enough club as the hole looks shorter than it really is and remember accuracy is key. If you hit the green and come through this hole unscathed, well... the next is the toughest hole on the course.
Clubhouse, Professional Shop & Practice facilities: For golf historians and visiting guests, the magnificent baronial clubhouse - Prestongrange House - contains plenty of golfing memorabilia to enjoy and is without doubt one of the most impressive clubhouses in Scotland. Visitors are welcome to use the changing rooms within, which contain lockers and shower facilities. The clubhouse has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and features a well-stocked bar. A wide selection of catering is on offer including breakfast, a lunch buffet, an all day menu and dinner. (see food and dining section). Professional Shop: The pro shop at Royal Mussleburgh Golf Club provides a full range of the very latest golf equipment and apparel, and offers extensive opportunities for learning and game improvement, through the use of technology and top class tuition. The pro shop at Royal Mussleburgh also provides for your day-to-day golfing needs selling balls, tees etc.. It also offers club rental, pull trolley, electric trolley and buggy hire. Practice facilities: Use of the practice facilities at Royal Mussleburgh Golf Club are available to visitors. The facilities include a driving range, practice nets, and a putting green.
Food & Dining: Before or after a round of golf at Royal Mussleburgh Golf Club, visitors are warmly welcomed within the clubhouse. The clubhouse opens from 8:00 am with a full breakfast menu available at 9:00 am. Food is served throughout the day from either the daily lunch buffet or the all day menu, that offers an extensive range of traditional dishes and light snacks. Dinner is also served in the clubhouse, hours may vary depending on the month and weather conditions. The bar is generously stocked and offers a wide range of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks.
Accommodation: SGB partner with a number of large hotel chains in Edinburgh City Centre and on the outskirts of the city. While we work with many smaller, more intimate, ones, such as The Lodge at Craigielaw, situated across East Lothian. In addition, we have partnerships with a number of letting agencies, including North Berwick Holiday Homes, to ensure we provide a fantastic suite of accommodation options across Edinburgh & the East. Whether you want to stay on a country estate, in a hotel, a luxury lodge, an apartment or a signature villa, Scottish Golf Breaks can arrange it for you.
Featured deal:
Typical packages include:
- Accommodation in a hotel, lodge, apartment or signature villa
- A round at Royal Mussleburgh Golf Club
- A round on the West Links at The North Berwick Golf Club
- A round at Dunbar Golf Club
- Dinner Reservation @ the clubhouse
- Full Scottish Breakfast
- Use of resort facilities: Access to changing & locker-rooms, and practice facilities at Longniddry Golf Club
Packages can be designed to your specification and group size, and can include alternative accommodation, additional courses across Edinburgh & the East, and or other regions within Scotland.
Additional services:
- Airport or train station transfers (all sizes of groups catered for)
- Executive travel
- Caddie service
Need to know
World’s 6th oldest golf club
Wonderful parkland course
10 miles from Edinburgh city centre
