The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club is the 6th oldest in the World and has the distinction of owning the oldest trophy still played for in the World, the Old Club Cup, dating back to 1744. The club moved to its present site close to Musselburgfh and Prestonpans in East Lothian in 1926, to a new parkland course designed by James Braid. The clubhouse building is also one of the oldest, if not THE oldest in Scotland, with parts dating back to the 12th Century. I'd played the Royal Musselburgh course a few times before, and certainly years before I started writing this blog, which explains why the course is listed in my Blog entry No 1. I'd have been content to leave it at that, as nowadays I much prefer links courses and I have no current connections to the Royal Musselburgh club. However, the course is one of the venues for the 2023 US Kids Golf European Championships. The American kid that I've been caddying for over several years in US Kids Tournaments is playing there in this year's 13 age group competition, so I played the course again on 18 May 2023 to remind myself about the layout and check out the condition of the course and any issues that young Ayush might have to face.
The course layout is pretty flat on the Front 9 and relatively straightforward, but is far more demanding and undulating on the Back 9. Overall, it's a modest 5880 Yards, Par 70 off the Yellow Tees and a far more tricky challenge of 6254 Yards, Par 70 from the Whites. The 1st Hole is a modest 309 Yard Par 4 opener. Avoid a couple of fairway bunkers on the right and it's just an easy short iron to the green. Greenside bunkering is fairly strong throughout the course although I have to say the depth of sand was poor, as I was to find out later in the round. However, I'd an easy opening par. The 2nd was even shorter, at a mere 280 Yards, but there are 4 fairway bunkers to avoid. I took a 3 wood off the tee to ensure I landed short of that trouble and another easy pitch set up a 6 foot birdie putt, which I made, just!
The Tee for 349 Yard Par 4 3rd Hole offers this good view of the old Clubhouse, though I'm not sure about how the (1970's?) flat roofed extension ever got planning permission. I 3-putted the 3rd green from under 30 feet for a bogey. The next couple of holes are of similar length and difficulty so even par after 5 holes wasn't too shabby.
The 6th is the first Par 3 at Royal Musselburgh, as shown here. The green is small and well protected by bunkering that makes the hole look shorter than it really is. I took the Course Guide's advice to take one club more and another comfortable par was on the scorecard.
The 7th is a really good hole and a sign that the course is about to become a more serious challenge. At 363 Yards, fairway dog leg lef and the green is well defended by good bunkering. A further par was really encouraging. I'd remembered from years back that scoring was easier on the Front 9, so level par after 7 would certainly do for me. The 8th is a dog leg right Par 4 of 410 Yards with a generously wide fairway, which I missed quite comfortably, finding my first bunker of the day off the tee. A double bogey 6 was disappointing though. Next came the 465 Yard Par 5 9th, named after the course designer, James Braid. The front of the green is well defended by strong bunkering. I found a narrow gap but found heavy rough at the back of the green, so another bogey followed and I was out in 39, in barely 90 minutes of easy walking.
The course was about to get more challenging and I was glad to have had that decent start. The 10th is blind off the tee and is a dog leg left 351 Yard Par 4. I'd sclaffed my drive barely 170 Yards and was left with a long downhill second to a narrow well-defended green. A bogey was about the best I could do and bunker trouble on the 11th led to a double. The Course Guide warns that you "cannot go left off the tee" on the 12th. Well, that's wrong for a start, as my hooked drive was to prove! Trees on the left meant I'd almost no shot but a low running 7 iron at least got me back into play. Bogey there and my 3 over par after 9 was now 7 over after 12. My playing handicap off the Yellows was 9 so I needed a run of pars to keep the round going my way. The 13th is the Stroke Index 1 hole at Royal Musselburgh, and at 435 Yards this Par 4 is a formidable test. The tee shot is blind and from the landing zone the fairway runs significantly downhill to another well protected green. More bunker issues and another bogey.
The 14th Hole had stuck in my mind over the years, so I knew what to expect. As the photo immediately below shows, there's nothing to suggest that this 127 Yard Par 3 hole is particularly tricky. As the subsequent photo shows, there's a deep and steep-sided gulley right in front of the green. Anything short risks a bogey or far worse. I was barely a yard short and faced an awkward lie just to be able to hit the ball at all, so yet another bogey and I'd used all of my 9 handicap strokes, with 4 of the most difficult holes on the course still to come.
The 15th is easily the most difficult of the closing holes and although its a meaty 419 Yards off the Yellow tee, deep gulleys running across the fairway mean that you can have 2 or more blind shots and a Par 4 hole playing nearer to 500 yards, uphill. The Course Guide states "be happy to make 5." I was, but I was now 10 over and mindful that young Ayush might also be happy to make 5 when the tournament starts.
The 16th is a downhill 148 Yard Par 3 that offers some relief and would be my sole par on the Back 9. 17 is a blind Par 4 of 334 Yards running in the opposite direction to the 15th, with similarly tricky fairway gulleys to contend with. I'd hit a really good drive, blind over a ridge, but my approach shot was also blind and as it turned out, really overhit into heavy rough at the back of the green. Bogey again. The 18th is an uphill 377 Yard Par 4 that plays longer than it looks. I'd found this bunker 50 yards short of the green but there was almost no sand in it, which was disappointing. I got the bunker shot onto the green and 2 putted for yet another bogey.
I'd played the Back 9 in 43 for 82 overall, a net 73 with 33 putts. Not bad I suppose, but 8 bogeys out of 9 holes on the Back 9 was poor. However, at least I'd gathered a better understanding of how this course should be managed. I'll be trying to keep young Ayush out of the bunkers and making sure he takes enough club on particular holes. He's a talented lad, so I don't think my 82 will be much of a target for him.
Royal Musselburgh was good test and I'd recommend you give it a try and good value for money. The fairways were in really good condition, the greens were medium paced and smooth and the lack of bunker sand is easily remedied If you've played Newbattle or Ratho Park, some of the holes here might look very familiar!
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