Royal Musselburgh

Royal Musselburgh is one of several great golf courses in and round Edinburgh, but there are few around the world that can match the history that it has. 

Originally founded in 1774, Royal Musselburgh is the sixth oldest golf club in the world. They moved to their current location in 1926, with five-time Open Champion James Braid designing the layout. 

The course is a terrific, mature parkland layout, with tree-lined fairways, plenty of tricky dog-legs and with more than 60 bunkers on the property. 

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Royal Musselburgh dates to 1774, making it the sixth oldest golf club in the world, though the club originally played over a 9-hole links layout at Levenhall. 

The Old Club Cup was also founded in the year of the club’s origins. With it still being played for today, it remains the oldest trophy that is still in use anywhere in the world. 

The current site was opened in 1926, with five-time Open Champion James Braid being the man behind the design of the golf course.

Set against the backdrop of Edinburgh, the course offers stunning views of the city skyline and Arthur's Seat - in contrast to many of the surrounding East Lothian courses. The immaculately kept course features tight fairways which are well guarded by trees. Precision driving and accurate approaches are essential in carding a respectable score. It might only be 6,250 yards, but the challenge is there for all to see. 

A quintet of par 4s get you on your way at Royal Musselburgh, and you could be well under handicap early on. The opener is 350 yards from the tips, and although there are fairway bunkers in play, you can easily stay short of them and have a comfortable shot into the green. The 2nd is drivable at 295 yards, but most will lay up short of the bunkers once more, before attacking the flag. 3 and 4 are both around 365 yards, the former requiring an accurate tee shot down the right side to open up the green. The 4th moves in the opposite direction, so the drive needs to be down the left side to ensure you are not blocked out. Anything right on the approach will find the nearby heather. The 5th is another good scoring chance – just 330 yards and with a generous fairway. Three bunkers guard the green, one that is long but narrow. 

The first of the par 3s comes at the 6th. Five bunkers surround the green, with three of those short of the surface. A round, flat green sits 170 yards away from the back tees. 7 is another dog-leg par 4 that moves to the left, with the tee shot ideally running down the right side of the fairway. Two fairway bunkers, along with three more traps by the green, need to be avoided. The 8th is the first par 4 that breaks the 400-yard barrier at Royal Musselburgh. Fairway traps on both sides make the fairway narrower, while there are mounds behind the green that might stop your ball if it runs through the back of the putting surface. The front nine finishes with the only par 5 on the course. It is 485 yards from the tips and a good birdie chance. Three fairway bunkers in the landing zone give you a decision to make on the tee shot, with the longer hitters aiming to carry them to give themselves the best chance of making it to the green in two. 

The back nine begins with another run of par 4s. The first three of those are all between 360 and 375 yards off the tips. Trees encroach on both sides of the fairway on 10, so getting past them all is the key off the tee. The large fairway bunker on the outside corner of the 11th, a dog-leg left, must be avoided. Two more bunkers guard the front edge of the putting surface, so make sure to take one more club. The 12th also moves to the left, with a lone tall Scottish pine guarding the left side of the green. The tee shot must be down the right side to provide yourself with the best angle to the putting surface. 13 is the longest par 4 on the course, and the Stroke Index 1 for good measure. At 450 yards, it requires all you have with the driver to put yourself in a position to reach the green. Five bunkers throughout, including a trio dotted on the left side of the fairway, add to the difficulty level of what is already the hardest hole on the property. 

The course finishes in real style, beginning with the short 14th, whose name, The Gully Hole, speaks for itself. It is only 150 yards, but anything short and left, and you won’t be making par. 

At the signature 15th, where the tee is huddled tight behind trees to the left, only an accurate drive will find the rolling fairway. From there a long iron is played over an uphill approach to a tilting green. 16 is the last of the short holes, and once more, it is all carry to reach the putting surface. The course finishes with a pair of par 4s, 17 being the shorter of those at 350 yards. Left is better than right if you’re going to miss on the penultimate tee shot. The final hole is 410 yards, and a solid finishing challenge at Royal Musselburgh. Do not go right off the tee, while the green is guarded by six bunkers. There is also a little dip in front of the green, which acts as a false front.

Where is Royal Musselburgh located?  

The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club is situated to the northeast of Edinburgh, near the borough of Musselburgh. It is just ten miles from the centre of Scotland’s capital city, while the coastline of the North Sea is a stone’s throw area from the northern side of the property. The course is also within two miles of the A1, providing great road links for those coming from the south. 

Thanks to its location, Royal Musselburgh is within just 20 miles of Scotland’s busiest international airport – Edinburgh Airport. The golf club sits halfway between Wallyford and Prestonpans Stations, with both stops sitting on the train line that runs between Edinburgh and North Berwick.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?

Royal Musselburgh is a couple of miles from The Musselburgh (Monktonhall), while Bruntsfield Links is around 15 miles away on the opposite side of the city. To the east, some of East Lothian’s best, including Muirfield, North Berwick and the Renaissance Club, are also within a 15-mile drive.

What golf facilities does Royal Musselburgh offer?

Prior to a round, golfers can warm up on the putting green and short game area which both sit next to the opening tee box.

What are the green fees at Royal Musselburgh?

The price of a green fee at Royal Musselburgh changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

For more information on current green fees at Royal Musselburgh, visit their website here.