How nice to see the celebration of Musselburgh’s 350th (official) birthday, even though all signs point to golf having been played there long before that. Mary Queen of Scots may wish she had not teed it up there in 1567 so soon after husband two—her cousin—departed in a mysterious explosion.
Anyhow, The Scotsman’s Martin Dempster covered the birthdate of March 2, 350 years after the earliest recorded round there by Sir John Foulis. He also notes the efforts of locals to keep it as a community centerpiece and even has a story of a Royal visit.
Avril Campbell in the East Lothian Courier recounted some of its key contributions to golf history (the diameter of the cup, mid-round snack bars, fights over bets, etc… and also talked to local golfers who are keeping the place and its incredible history going, with more events planned.
To mark the 350th anniversary of golf at Musselburgh, Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club (MOCGC) – which later this month celebrates the 40th year of its re-founding in 1982 – is hosting a series of events across 2022, ending with a gala dinner in the town in September.
This Saturday, members of MOCGC will contest the club’s 40th Anniversary Stroke-play Championship. On July 4, more than 20 golf clubs and foundations from across Scotland have been invited to participate in an 18-hole tournament on the Old Course.