Royal Musselburgh
DG SCOTLAND 2024 Editor, Kevin Markham
The holes you see on the way into this golf club simply do not prepare you for the history that awaits, nor one of the most spectacular clubhouses anywhere. Located in Prestonpans, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Prestongrange House centres around a Norman tower and dates back to the 12th century. The golf club itself is the 6th oldest in the world although it only moved to its current site in the 1920s, which was when James Braid was
brought in to design the course you play today… Mungo Park added some extra holes in the 1930s. What stands out is how well routed the course is given the land available. It flows so smoothly along subtle slopes overlooking the Firth of Forth, and you’d be hard-pressed to guess which holes lie beside you as you play through tree-lined avenues to gentle greens. It is not a long course but the trees are just tight enough to rein you in. The three
par threes are particularly strong while the lone par five 9th is reachable in two. 2024 will see the club celebrating 250 years.
Did You Know?
Seek out the oldest and original hole cutter in the clubhouse
bar. This hole cutter was purchased by the club for £1 in 1829.
It makes holes of 4 and 1/4 inches in diameter, which was
confirmed as the official standard in 1894.