Seaside Golf in East Lothian

Scotland is universally recognised as the Home of Golf, though few people appreciate the significant role East Lothian has played in the game's development. East Lothian has been a mecca for golfers for close to 300 years. This is especially true for the stretch of land between Dunbar and Musselburgh. Not only has golf played an important role in the history, life and economy of this region, the history of golf has been greatly influenced by people and events that occurred here.

A Brief History of Golf in East Lothian

Golf has been played in Scotland at least from the 15th century. Documents show that golf has been played in East Lothian since the 17th century with evidence that it was present the century before. The Earl of Moray accused Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) of playing golf at Seton House in Musselburgh in 1567 (a few days after the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley). The oldest existing course in the county is Musselburgh Links - The Old Course (dating from at least 1672). The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (now at Muirfield) has records going back to 1744, which makes it the earliest known golf club in the world (10 years before The Society Club of St. Andrews Golfers was established).

Tradition has it that Queen Mary once lost a golf match to one of her ladies-in-waiting, Mary Seton and afterwards presented Mary Seton with a necklace as a reward. In 1811, (Royal) Musselburgh Golf Club made arrangements for the first recorded women’s golf competition in recognition of that event.

The 18th century was a period of slow growth for golf in East Lothian. As well as The Honourable Company (1744), the Thorntree Club (now part of Royal Musselburgh) dates to at least 1774 and the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club itself was probably founded about 1760.

Golf Clubs were established throughout East Lothian during the 19th century. North Berwick was founded in 1832, followed by Tantallon Golf Club (1853), Dirleton Castle at Gullane (1854), Dunbar (1856) the East Lothian Golf Club – later Gullane (1859), and Luffness Old (1867). When the Open Championship was established in the 19th century, Musselburgh Links - The Musselburgh Old Course, together with Prestwick and St. Andrews - hosted the event on a rotational basis. Other area clubs formed in this century include Haddington Golf Club (1865), Kilspindie (1867), Bass Rock (1873), and Luffness New (1894). Although women had been playing golf for a long time (since Mary Queen of Scots), the Dunbar Ladies (1871) and North Berwick Ladies Club (1888) were two of the earliest clubs organized by and for women followed by Haddington Ladies about 1890. The North Berwick Ladies were the first to have their own course (9 holes, currently the children’s course).

Golf continued its expansion in the 20th Century with many courses developed and many clubs founded throughout the county. The Gifford Golf Club (1904), The Glen (1906), Longniddry (1921), and Winterfield Golf Club (1935). The last decade of the century saw Castle Park (circa 1994), Whitekirk (1995), Craigelaw (circa 1999). The 21st century has new courses in Dirleton (Archerfield and The Renaissance Club) being added to the inventory.

There have been many people who have been part of the golf history in East Lothian. Kings (Mary’s son James VI reputedly played at Musselburgh), Queens, Princes, Marquises, Earls, Lords, Provosts, and even a Prime Minister have played important roles in the history of golf in the region. A. J. Balfour was Prime Minister of The United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. He was a resident in the area and captain of North Berwick Golf Club from 1891 to 1892. Other people who had important influences on golf in East Lothian include Ben Sayers of North Berwick, Sir Hew Dalrymple, Leslie Balfour-Melville, J. E. Laidlay, F. G. Tait, Tom Dunn, 5th Earl of Wemyss (who built Gosford House and surrounded it with a golf course), Davie Strath (a greenkeeper at North Berwick who was the only person who was a match for young Tom Morris). Many of these people had a great influence on the greater world of golf.

East Lothian and the World of Golf

East Lothian has produced many golfers who had wide influence. Among these were father Willie Park, Sr. and son Willie Park, Jr. The father was the winner of the first Open Championship (and won it 3 times) and the son won it twice. The younger Park is considered to be the first professional golfer and was a successful club maker and course designer. The Dunn Family (Old Willie Dunn and his brother Jamie) were contemporaries and competitors of Old Tom Morris. Willie Dunn, Jr. who won the 1894 US Open became one of the first golf-course designers of the new school and had a significant effect on the future of golf. In addition, Norman Innes went to India where he won successive Indian Championships in 1893-94 and Tom Harley from Aberlady won the 1895 Canadian Championship.

Bob Ferguson, a Musselburgh caddie, won three consecutive Opens (1880 to 1882). John Ernest Laidlaw, also of Musselburgh, was the pioneer of overlapping grip (best known as the Vardon grip) and was twice amateur Champion, and was four times the leading amateur in the Open.

North Berwick contributed many persons of influence including Davie Grant, a professional golfer famed for teaching the game of golf at home and overseas. Another was Willie Anderson who was one of the first great players to emigrate to America where he won 4 US Opens. Fred McLeod who was a member of Bass Rock Club, won the 1908 US Open and took part in an Anglo-America match at Wentworth that became the Ryder Cup.

Also from North Berwick was Ben Sayers who won 24 tournaments, but was not fated to win the Open. Among his many scalps in tournament play were Auchterlonie, Morris, Taylor, Vardon and Braid. Sayers was an important teacher of golf. His pupils included Her Majesty Queen Alexandra the Prince of Wales, Princess Victoria, Duchess of Connaught and Princess Patricia of Connaught. His son, George Sayers, emigrated to the US where he became the Professional at the Merion Cricket Club near Philadelphia. Dorothy Campbell was great lady amateur champion is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida.

One of the major influences East Lothian has had on the world of golf is through golf course design. Willie Park, Jr., Willie Dunn, Jr., Ben Sayers, James Braid, Harry Gullane, and Philip Mackenzie Ross all had great impact on course design throughout the world. Perhaps even more important is the way many East Lothian courses have inspired golf course design elsewhere. The famous Redan (15th) at North Berwick is considered the most copied hole in golf. The influence of holes and design features at Dunbar, Muirfield, and Gullane has also been great.

East Lothian and Milestones in golf’s development

From the start of golf East Lothian has been a major player. The importance of the Honourable Company in establishing the rules of golf is well known. The role of Old Musselburgh in establishing The Open Championship, the founding of international competitions, the design and marketing of golf equipment, the involvement of ladies in golf, and the emergence of golf tourism are all examples of the role of East Lothian.

One claim to fame for Royal Musselburgh is they purchased an automatic hole cutter for making standard sized golf holes from Robert Gay. This size was adopted as the standard size for a golf hole in 1893, though other clubs make similar contemporaneous claims. Another is that they played possibly the first two recorded six-a-side club matches in 1830.

The first club match between clubs of different countries was in 1881 when Tantallon met Royal Liverpool. This was the precursor to the England versus Scotland matches which have since followed. The oldest foursomes team competition in the world is the East Lothian County Cup which began 1867.

North Berwick was one of the pioneers in the use and organization of caddies. It (along with Musselburgh) was also central to the early evolution of professional golf.

Conclusion

Come to East Lothian and experience the rich history of the area and be a part of the continuing development of the great game.

Author C. M. Austin, PhD