THE ROYAL MUSSELBURGH GOLF CLUB.    Please feel free to save this page in your browser.

The official crest of the club carries the word Instituted 1774, apparently a statement of fact but probably an early refusal to make a claim which could not be factually substantiated. 1774 is certainly a definite date as it was in that year that the silver cup was subscribed for and presented by gentlemen golfers of Musselburgh to the Golf Club, but a cup is not 'presented' to a club not already in existence. Unfortunately the minutes are not in the possession of the Club nor is it known where they might be; they seem to have disappeared very early on; certainly earlier than the Club Centenary Celebration.

There are however two sources which point to a date earlier than 1774 for the institution of the Club and one of these must be considered as being of great authority. It is a statement made in the 1845 Statistical Account of Scotland by the Rev. Leslie Moodie, DD., a successor of the Rev. Alexander Carlyle (nicknamed 'Jupiter') who became minister of the Parish of Inveresk in 1784, who kept diaries and notes of all his activities and wrote his autobiography; as he himself writes "Having observed how carelessly and consequently how falsely, history is written, I have long resolved to note down certain facts..." to keep him (the historian) within the bounds of truth and certainty. To this there is to be added the fact that the Rev. Alexander Carlyle was the Winner of The Silver Cup in 1775 and further that there exists a statement that he was one of the founder members of the Club. As the Rev. Leslie Moodie had full access to these records and based his Report upon the one written by 'Jupiter' in the 1795 Statistical Account then some authority must be given to this statement:- A golf club was formed in 1760 and still continues to flourish, consisting of the principal gentlemen of the town and vicinity. A handsome silver cup ('Jupiter' gives as the reason to preserve the taste for this ancient diversion) is annually played for, the winner of which retains possession of it and is Captain of the Club for one year and attaches a gold or silver to it before the next competition. Surely with 'Jupiters' passion for accuracy, his membership of the Club, perhaps from its inception - and his proximity both of time and place, there is some justification in accepting the date of 1760 as the inaugural year of the Club.

The same record is given in James Paterson's Regality of Musselburgh, published in 1857, and indeed must be based upon the 1845 Statistical Account, but once again the author is a man with an intense desire for accuracy and meticulous checking of detail. It is not likely, therefore, that he would repeat such a categorical statement about the date of the Club's foundation had it not been possible for him to check and counter-check his information.

So it is that there are three dates to be given in this very brief summary of R.M.G.C; 1760 as its probable foundation, on the authority of a date-conscious diarist and autobiographer and his followers; 1774 when the Silver Cup was won by Thos. MacMillan of Shorthope, the Club's most honoured Trophy, still played for in the Autumn Meeting; and 1784, the year of the Club's first Minute Book, which opens with the report that on December 10th at Mrs. Sherriff's "The Company of Golfers met this day, according to adjournment, when they proceeded agreeably to 5th Rule, to a re-election of Members when the following were re-elected." There were 26 members, of whom 13 were present, and some of these paid the fines imposed upon the others of their absence. Mr. Gillies was elected president, Mr. Ramsay as the Cup Winner was captain and Mr. Davidson was appointed secretary for the ensuing year.they also appointed Brook their officer; he was paid 1/6 per meeting (there were 9 monthly meetings, none being held in July, August or September) acting as postman and as collector of subscriptions, fees etc.

The society, Company or Club (all these terms are used in the early records) met in the local Inns and Taverns in the afternoon for Dinner, receded by the matches entered in the Club Match Book at the previous meeting, Usually foursomes arranged for 12 noon; these were played for "neither more nor less than 6d. per Hole... and no wager above Two shillings and Sixpence shall be laid upon any match that shall be entered in the Books...." The only Medal Competition (perhaps the earliest one played) was the one for the Silver Cup but despite its importance and its being carried on the day in a procession of clergymen, military men, doctors and lawyers with the town drummer, and the club officer carrying the Cup, competition was not particularly keen, sometimes only one or two, and on occasions no one, turning up to play for it. Every year a gift of golf balls was made for the scholars of the local school and in the Minutes of 12 Dec1788 there appears the word of the Club's responsibility for the Links when it is recorded that "Baillie John Cochran was chosen Keeper and Surveyor of the Links", probably a wise move to ensure Council action as well.

It was in January of that year that the Laws of the Society were revised and 9 Rules were adopted. Three years later "....the Golfing Club met when proposals for dissolving the Society were laid before them which were unanimously agreed to.... they elected themselves into a new Golfing Society;..." The captain was re-elected and in 1892 the new Rules of the Golfing Society of Musselburgh, remarkably similar to those of 1788, were subscribed by the members. It must have been a happy society to judge from the January 1793 Minutes:- ".... The meetings were so merry that it was agreed that matches and any other business should be delayed till next month...."

From 1797 to 1807 the Club was almost dormant but was kept alive by Colonel Stewart, winner of the Cup in 1797, who looked after its safety for ten years and was still deemed as Captain when Sir John Hope, Bart. of Craighall won the Cup in 1807. Somewhat similarly Sir Jas. G Baird, Bart. won the Cup in 1812, after which there was no competition for it for 15 years, the Club being inactive from 1812-27. Once again Sir John Hope, Bt. headed the revival, being named as Captain on 1st July, 1828 and as President in September. It had been in his Presidency in 1881 that the Club agreed "to present the subscription a handsome new creel and skull to the best Female Golfer who plays on the annual Occasion on the 1st January next old style (12th January new) to be intimidated to the Fifth Ladies by Mr. Robertson the Officer of the Club. Two of the best Barcelona silk handkerchiefs to be added to the above premium of the creels".

This interest in the playing of the game becomes much more noticeable after the 1828 resurgence. Previously it could have been said that the Company of Golfers was rather a Dining Club which held monthly meetings. The Dinner, which was timed for about 3:30pm to 4:00pm, being proceeded by the playing of matches arranged at the previous meeting, apart from the one occasion of Medal Play for the Silver Cup. To Play on the Links on a Club Day and not to turn up for the Dinner involved a fine of 1s. (the cost of a meal was 8d.) and the betting on the matches played, frequently meant the appearance on the dining table of several bottles of claret. Dining, wining and fining formed the greater part of the Club Regulations and Laws.

In 1882, however, after a Committee of four had been appointed to revise the Laws of the Club, four members "who are in custom of playing" were added to "revise the Rules of the Green and other regulations". At an earlier meeting there is a decision that ".... the Ball must be played wherever it lies without any break-club or obstruction being removed...." and Sergeant Scott is directed to "pay more attention to forming the holes and that he be occasionally on the Links when matches are played". The secretary was authorised to pay Robert Gay's account for the instrument for forming holes. It was agreed "that the Club shall meet on the Links at one o'clock as at present and that the Members shall attend in the In at half past four for the despatch of business...." The secretary was also instructed to "invite the Magistrates and Treasurer of the Burgh to dine with Club on the day the Cup is played for.

In 1830 there were appointed the first Council members, three in number, and the first Inter-Club Match was played, six-a-side, against Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, who won the first encounter on October 15th by three holes, but lost the return game on on November 5th by one hole. The following year the regular meetings of the Club were reduced to four, the second Friday of April, July, October and January, with the first Friday of every month being a Club Day for playing without and meeting for business. A second Medal Competition was instituted, the winner to receive a Silver Medal, the cost of which was to be £1, this to include engraving; the first winner was Mr. Wilson, Surgeon, with scores of 38 and 42 for the two rounds of seven holes. In 1832 the course was increased to eight holes and a stern intimation was given that no one was to alter the arrangement or position of the holes without the authority of the Golf Club Council; a copy of all the Club Regulations was to be hung up at the stand. Two years later "regulations for playing the game" were again revised and published and now permission was given for the removal of loose articles upon the "fair green or putting ground"; should the ball be under ice or water or in a hole where the club could not reach it (at least three inches in depth and not more than twelve inches in diameter) it could be lifted under penalty of one stroke, dropped behind and then had to be played with an Iron. The list of members was also revised, showing 61 Ordinary Members and 17 Honorary Members, quite an increase from the earlier normal membership of around thirty to forty. Not that this meant greater competition for the Silver Cup, the number turning up ranging from two - six; after some annual moves to improve matters it was finally agreed in Council in 1843 "that the Medal to be attached to the Cup should be in future at the expense of the Club in place of the party gaining it is hitherto and to counter-balance this expense that in place of two pounds being allowed to the Dinner Bill at each Meeting only one pound should be allowed".

Once again the Club appears to be declining, two meetings only per year from 1838 to 1844, one in 1845, none in 1846, two in 1847, none till 1852 and then final gap from 1859 to 1869; membership was decreasing, 38 in 1847, and attendance at meetings varied from four to fourteen. Even so in 1857 the Club was represented at the National Golf Tournament, paying its £4 Entry Fee (a large sum in those days) and sending the names of its representatives, Mr. R.G. Chambers and Mr. Marjoribanks, to the Union Club House St. Andrews. They returned the very creditable score of 92.

The year of the resumption of the Club, 1870, was certainly an active one; fourteen Committee meetings were held, at the first of which, 12th March, 17 members proposed, seconded and elected and a Committee of Management appointed: Captain, Secretary, Treasurer and three others. Later Sir Arch. Hope, Bt. agreed to his re-election as President. Subscription was fixed at £1-1-0; with Entry Fee also £1-1-0; the West Room of the Stand at the Links was hired from Mr. Mackenzie, he to act as Officer at a salary of £10-0-0 per year and also to be Club Master with full control over all drink put into the Club premises for use of members alone (Whisky 4d. per glass, Sherry and Port 6d., Brandy 8d. and all Beers 3d. a pint). A new Code of Laws was presented and finally approved on 15th October, the Creen Laws being passed four months later. At the October Meeting the Office Bearers and a Council of four were appointed and the Silver Cup Winner was the guest of the Club at the Dinner Following the Business Meeting.

The spirit of the Club was certainly high for in November was discussed for the first time a proposal to build a Clubhouse, the site to be on the North side of the Honourable Company's House. Later the Council agreed "to confer with Mr. Mann, Captain of the Burgess Club, as to the practicability of a Union of the Burgess and Musselburgh Clubs". A special meeting resolved "that the Burges Club be admitted to the Musselburgh Club.... with the proviso that the name of the Musselburgh Club remained unaltered". This does not seem to be the warm hand of friendship, and it is no surprise that seven weeks later the answer was that the Burgess Club "resolved not to carry out the amalgamation scheme in the meantime as it was considered undesirable to sink the name of their Club entirely".

This was the period when sport came to the fore; international rugby and football matches began and their Unions and Associations were formed. Golf shred in this athletic upsurge and membership of the Club rose rapidly, the total of 87 being declared at the October '71 A.G.M. The building of the Clubhouse proceeded rapidly and interest in the playing of the game becomes much more apparent; handicaps are mentioned, the Council are requested that players during the summer months have equal advantages with those during autumn months, and players in medal competitions must be accompanied by another member, with non-players in attendance as markers. Four new prizes appear from Medal Play, McKinlay Cup, Colonial (Clark '74/'75) Medal, Silver Putter and the Gold (Inches) Medal, the first three remaining the property of the Club, won by R. Pringle (161) with old Willie Park coming in fifth (164).

In 1876 H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught graciously consented to become Hon. President of the Club, a position which he held until his death in 1942; his son, H.R.H. Prince Arthur, was Hon. Vice-President from 1912 until his death in 1938. The Club had the title of Royal added to its name and 21 years later the Connaught Cup was handed over to the Club President, General Sir Wm. Hope, a ceremony at which there was also present his Imperial Highness The Grand Duke Michael of Russia, who had previously been elected as Honorary Member. With the added interest in playing,"the management of the green" became much more vital and in 1877 at a meeting of the four famous Clubs, Honourable Company, Burgess, Bruntsfield and Royal Musselburgh it was agreed that there should be a Green Committee with full control, each club to have two representatives and to contribute according to membership, the end of the hundred years' control by the Musselburgh G.C.

The Club now decided to have Monthly Competitions, prizes to be a dozen golf balls (six if fewer than six players), starting at 2:00pm on the first Thursday of each month but at 5:00pm in May, June, July and August. Some members were so keen on the game that a letter of apology had to be sent to the Burgess G.S. on behalf of some R.M.G.C. members playing on the course during their (Burgess) competition. In 1885 revised Rules of the Game were brought out in book form, the same year which saw the first of the Club matches against Edinburgh Burgess G.S., which they won by thirteen holes; later, in 1899, a special trophy for this annual match was presented jointly by the Captains of the Club, Mr. Purves and Mr. Young, a trophy still played for in annual competition. In that same year there was introduced a Handicap Tournament by Holes and in 1895 the Menzies Cup was presented to the Winner; in 1926 this was replaced by the Powell Cup; the Menzies Cup the becoming the 1st. Handicap award for the Spring Meeting a change which now seems to have been quite unnecessary, if not against the original wishes of the donors.

Membership of the Club was now over the hundred mark but in 1893 the appearance of 40 balls in the Ballot Box when only 34 members were present led to a split in the Club. At a special General Meeting the Club was dissolved and immediately reformed with no change in Office Bearers. Those who resigned formed the Musselburgh New Club, but not for long, for the two Clubs amalgamated in 1909.

In the year of the split the Club Colours were officially announced as Scarlet coat and Yellow facings, later to be changed to Green facings, an outfit which continued to be worn until before the World War of 1939 - 1945, after which dress regulation ceased to be so obligatory and more acceptable.

Special competitions over other courses now (1894) began to be held and there is a pleasing record of one held at Gullane, when "the return journey was accomplished in safety, all being in the best of spirits....". The number of trophies was increasing and in the new Constitution and Rules of January 1896 it was laid down that the Silver Cup and Colonial Medal be played for annually in October, The Gray Medal in January, the McKinlay Cup and Handicap Gold Medal in April, the Bowlers' Bowl and Purves Putter in June, and the Menzies Cup for the Hole and Hole Tournament. The Spring, Autumn and Winter Meetings were to be held over the Links, the Summer venue being at the discretion of the Council.

1897, the year of the Connaught Cup, also saw the presentation of the Powell Cup for the Winter Meeting. A Foursomes Tournament proved very successful and it was agreed to hold it annually. The Club, along with the Town Council, was still involved with management of the Links and Tournaments, also arranging special games, e.g. Wm. Park Jr. v. J. H. Taylor on 16 June, '96 and v. Wm. Fernie on 16 May, '98, the Midlothian Golf Championship, and in conjunction with the Dundee Evening Telegraph the Amateur Championship of Scotland. A sign of the times is the decision in the minutes that amateurs who entered for the Midlothian Championship should be given the privileges of the Club; professionals were kept beyond the pale. Inter-Club matches were increasing, Irvine G.C., Honestas G.C., Seton Carew G.C. and Broomieknowe G.C. being added to the Bruntsfield and Burgess matches which were played already, and a week-end golfing tour in Northumberland was instituted. An interesting game took place in 1903, when R.M. and Burgess played a team of Fishermen Golfers from Inverallochy, Aberdeenshire.

So at the beginning of the twentieth century the Club was very soundly based, with golf now being the major interest, competition spurred on by the number of Club trophies (fourteen in 1910 compared with one for the first hundred years), the building of their own Clubhouse, and with a membership of approximately 120. Interest in golf relics begin to appear: Douglas McEwan presented the Club with the two oldest clubs in his possession (owned by King James II), an unused driver made by his uncle, Wm. McEwan, and a feather ball made by Douglas Gourlay: a gift of clubs belonging to A.G. Hunter, Captain of the Club in 1810, was received; Captain and Secretary each presented a feather ball made by Wm. Gourlay, as did J.M. Williamson (he had been defeated one hole, by F.G. Tait in the Open Amateur semi-final at Prestwick 1899), and the Secretary also donated a suitable case. In addition two Philp clubs were bought from Douglas McEwan for £2. in 1908 H.B. Wood presented a Hole Cutter with brass plate inscribed Musselburgh G.C. A.D. 1774. In the same year formal approval was given of the amalgamation with the New Club (Musselburgh), and J.F. Mitchell won the Irish Open Championship Cup.

The Club kept going during the 1914 - 1918 Great War, although no competitions were played; all Officers of the Navy and Army were allowed as Temporary Members without charge. The year 1919 saw the resumption of the Quarterly General Meeting; in 1920 Entry Money was raised to £2-2-0, while whisky rose to 1s. 3d. per glass. The following year the first steps were taken to acquire ground for a private course but the Trustees refused to lease the Newhailes policies as a golf course. Two years later two further sites were investigated, Monktonhall and Prestongrange, and after professional advice had been taken, a special General Meeting held on 1st December, 1924 empowered the Council to acquire a twenty years lease of Prestongrange for the purpose of a Private Golf Course: the Club was to be formed into a Limited Company under Guarantee; membership was to be increased from 300 to 450 (£5-5-0 Entry and £3-3-0 Subscription) and lady members were to be admitted to a maximum of 150 (Entry £3-3-0 and Subscription £2-2-0). Jas. Braid was engaged to lay out the course and superinted the work, to be carried out by Messrs. Hawtree and Taylor at a total cost of £3,797-10s. The original lease was for twenty-five years, with a yearly rental of £500 to a maximum of £650 in 15 years, and an extension of lease at a rent not exceeding £650. On 28th May, 1925, a temporary nine hole course was formally opened with a match between W. W. Mackenzie (Scottish Amateur Champion) and W. B. Torrance against J. B. Matheson (Club Captain) and Dr. A. Cleland. A little over a year later, on Wednesday, 29th September, 1926, the full course was officially opened by Colonel C. Crookshank, M.P. for Berwick and Haddington and the famous quartet of Braid, Taylor, Vardon and Herd played in Scotland v. England match, Scotland winning four and two in the morning and four and three in the afternoon. It was perhaps appropriate that at the A.G.M. Dr. A. Cleland was appointed Captain, and so the new venture began with the old custom of the Silver Cup Winner being the Captain of the Club.

Once again a new Trophy Scheme was introduced (the previous had been in 1908) but this was not to last any length of time either and a further scheme was introduced in 1952 when A and B Divisions and the awards for the three major Meetings were allocated (the January meeting now being dropped). In 1953 the Coronation Cup was presented, in 1955 the Mixed Foursomes Cup and in 1966 the Willie Park Trophy for Summer Foursomes was instituted. In addition to these trophies the Ladies' Section have their Quaich and Rosebowl and the Junior Section their Championship Cup and Edmond Trophy.

T return, however, to 1924 it was certainly a very brave decision to enter upon such a project in such disturbed times, socially and economically. The aftermath of the Great War was still holding the country in its grip; unrest was rife, strikes were prevalent and grew into the National Strike of 1926, Government was unstable and not even the Coalition Government was successful and in the early thirties the Geddes Axe brought about a 10% cut in wages and salaries. It was scarcely the right atmosphere or conditions to produce such a difficult plan as the establishment of a new, golf course. The sale of the old Clubhouse to the Lodge of St. John, Fisherrow and Members' Debentures still left a Capital debt of £1,000 and annual expenditure exceeded income by £200. Ladies membership was increased to £200; Entry Fee to seven guineas; green staff was reduced; but resignation brought membership down to 300 Gentlemen and 190 Ladies. A limited No Entry Fee scheme in 1931 was very successful in attracting new members but three years later there was further concern over numbers, but by 1939 membership stood at 352 Gentlemen, 130 Ladies 11 Country, 13 Boys, 4 Girls. The previous year the acquisition of the 'pit pony field' within the policies and the leasing of Bankfoot Park had made it possible for the course to be contained within the walls surrounding the estate; a new layout put forward by Mungo Park (6,200 yards, bogey 74) was accepted and in 1939 the new course was opened with exhibition games by A. D. Locke and A. D. Padgham, playing with A. J. D. Blaikie and W. Currie in the first game and later on their own.

Again the Club had chosen a bad time for a new venture for only a few months later the World War broke out, a part of the course (2nd to 9th holes, 20 acres) was taken over by the Government and were ploughed up, grazing was made compulsory over the rest and the Clubhouse was requisitioned for use by the R.A.F. (members had to carry identification and membership cards to be allowed into the grounds to have a game of golf, among the sheep, over the twelve holes which remained).

After the war restoration work was long and protracted but membership, which naturally had fallen during the war years, increased rapidly, and by 1940 all outstanding loans and deposits had been repaid. It seemed as if the Club was now established but a year later came two blows; a report by chartered surveyors that dry rot in the Clubhouse made it advisable that the present buildings be vacated as soon as possible; and secondly, an intimation from the owner that he wished to sell the property either to the Club or to any other party at the termination of the lease (e.g. N.C.B. for suggestion and counter- suggestion, activity and inactivity, proposals and counter- proposals, during which the Club failed to carry out any concrete moves to meet the obvious necessity of purchase. Finally, after some extraordinary moves, the Club found itself committed to purchase, could not raise the necessary funds to meet their obligations and entered into negotiations with C.I.S.W.O. which ended in June 1957 when formal consent was given to the purchase of the Course and Clubhouse by the Welfare Organisation, a much happier solution than the one for winding up the Club which was put forward at an S.G.M. in January of the same year.

It was, and has remained, a most harmonious and successful union, with C.I.S.W.O. as owners of and responsible for the property, with R.M.G.C. being members of C.I.S.W.O. and responsible for the management of the game, and with the respective Management Committee and Golf Club Council working closely together for the good of the whole. So with the course and clubhouse in better condition than ever before, the Club can certainly enjoy its official third century in good heart and with justifiable optimism.