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Fair Reekin' with Far End of the Course, Mrs For- It Is Musselburgh's Undulations History"

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Fair Reekin' with Far End of the Course, Mrs For- It Is Musselburgh's Undulations History No golf course in the world has more right to call itself "Old" than Musselburgh Old Links which is the oldest existing golf course in the world. As Scott MacCallum found out, like many humans of a certain age, it is having a facelift. here are many old golf Tcourses in the world. A great many at clubs which have enjoyed successful centenary years where stops are pulled out, pro-ams held and commemora- tive pullovers produced. A very rare few have had 200th anniver- sary celebrations but Musselburgh Links can top them all as it has the distinction of being the oldest existing golf course in the world. To the casual observer there would be nothing to differentiate Musselburgh from many other of Scotland's links courses, except for the fact that it is ringed by a racecourse, but closer examina- tion reveals a piece of golfing land with a history to trump any- where else in the world and a group of people whose devotion to the well being and advance- ment of Musselburgh links is unstinting. Among them are Alistair Patter- son, Head Greenkeeper, and Jim Frame, a long standing member of Old Musselburgh and a man who has done much to make the local authority aware of the need to invest in the restoration and preservation of the course. As befits a part of the country which has such a relationship with the history of the game you shouldn't be surprised by anyone or anything you meet and the first person I bumped into during my visit was Archie Baird, who informed me that he was married to the great grand daughter of Willie Park, the first Open Cham- pion and himself a Musselburgh man. Archie, who is curator of the Golf Museum in Gullane, also showed me the gold watch chain, finished by a gold miniature golf ball, which was passed down to Archie from the great man and which proudly adorns his jacket. clock tower of Big Ben with a dig- "It is recorded in the minutes of by the fish wives of the commu- He was visiting the course as he ital face. At Musselburgh, though, Royal Musselburgh Golf Club that nity. The first caddies were based knew construction work was the work has become necessary it was the first course to have in Musselburgh. being carried out and was hoping due to work on the racecourse holes properly cut out and one of "If this was in America it would that some old gutties might be and it is an ideal opportunity to the original hole cutters can be be hallowed ground, an institu- dug up. make some changes and improve- seen at the Royal Musselburgh tion where your grandfather Yes, you did read correctly, ments to the course. And a very Clubhouse," explained Alistair, would have to put your name there is construction work being good job Alistair Patterson and who has worked on the course down to join. The Americans trea- carried out on the oldest golf the local council are making of with his apprentice for the last 18 sure golf history and when they course in the world... but don't them. months. come here they absolutely drool. worry. Speaking in the Musselburgh Another first was the universal We take far too much for Making alterations to such a Old Golf Club, which was the adoption of the rule "playing the granted," said Jim. rare piece of history would, you original home of the Royal ball as it lies" after it had been Like many things where the would think, be akin to adding Burgess Golf Club now based in first in use at Musselburgh, while past is clouded over by the mists Dormer windows to the Great Edinburgh and regarded as the first ever women's golf com- of time it is difficult to pin an Pyramid of Gizza, rewriting the arguably the oldest golf club in petition was held at Musselburgh exact date on when golf was first ending to Hamlet to make it a lit- the world, Alistair and Jim talk on New Year's Day, 1811 when a played on Musselburgh Links but tle less tragic or replacing the with pride about the course. creel and skull was competed for the earliest record of golf being 26 OREENKEEPER INTERNATIONAL March 1997 Long standubg member Jim Frame, left and Alistair Patterson, Head Greenkeeper played on the links was 1567 "When I first came here last when Mary Queen of Scots was April I was turfing bunkers and accused of playing golf a few days tees and the Groundcare team before her surrender. Now you was coming in after the men had can be pretty sure she wasn't the finished their work in the parks first person to play there so you and gardens on overtime to help can certainly knock a few years raking soil and pegging out tees. off that figure. Some of these are 420 square Perhaps Musselburgh's heydays yards and we needed help to get were when it was home to the them done," recalled Alistair. Honourable Company of Edin- "The construction work began burgh Golfers - which now in May and during the dry sum- resides at Muirfield - and the mer as soon as the turf went Royal Burgess when the gentry, down it had to be hand watered. I including Lords and judges would prefer the old system because I arrive in Musselburgh by train reckon with hand watering you from the city and then race to get can put the water where you to the tee first. Failure to build up want it. During the summer we a sufficient head of steam could had to keep the sprinkler on late result in a three hour wait to tee and pop out at 10 o'clock to see if off. it was still there!" "It was quite a fair old canter The new dog leg 9th hole from where the old railway sta- which replaces the drivable - for tion was to the course and appar- the bigger hitters - par 4 was con- ently there were some ceived following a site visit by a unbelievable sights," said Jim. local professional who confirmed But that was then. What is the thinking of many of the locals Musselburgh like now? It would be fair to say that the any way affect the ambiance of who had visualised the same hole Well, as I said at the beginning golf course had been neglected the place and the charm of this for themselves but been too mod- the links is shared with Mussel- over a period of years before Alis- old fashioned links golf course," est to voice it publicly. burgh race course, which was tair's arrival. said Alistair. The new hole is into the pre- established in 1816 and for much "The maintenance was done by "Even the new bunkering which vailing wind and boasts seven or of the time since then it has been gardeners and they cut out a hole has been put in is pot bunkering eight new bunkers, a cluster of the race course which has held and mowed an area around it and we are going back to the old which are around the landing sway when any difficult decisions once a week," explained Jim. fescues, which are using around area. have been taken. "The race course influence pre- them and this will be left to grow "We felt that the current 9th Some of the rails are taken dominated within the council at wild and be as natural as possible." was a soft finishing hole and we down to assist the golf when that time but now the golfing Alistair and his apprentice are felt there should be a good test to there isn't a race meeting - there interests have blossomed and employed by Groundcare, the finish off the round," explained are around 20 a year - but if you people have become aware of just company which won the contract Jim. concentrate on the individual what they have here. It is some- under Compulsory Competitive "We have tried to preserve all holes and forget about the race thing which is unique and Tendering, and it is fellow Ground- the subtle little contours on the course you will see some wonder- deserves loving care, kindness care employees who can be called fairways and we are delighted fully pure golfing land. and all the work that can be done upon, usually in evenings, to assist that the council has asked for the The greens are small and the on it. That took a bit of work and with some of the construction and views of the club at every stage tees are low - the height of a hard persuasion but eventually maintenance work. and a great many of our ideas greenkeepers boot - as the tradi- we convinced them of the trea- have been taken on board. tional way was for the golfer to sure they had," said Jim who, One of the most famous parts see all the undulations from during the walk of the course, of the golf course is the 4th hole ground level. It also kept costs uttered the immortal phrase that known as "Mrs Forman's". At the down. the place was "fair reekin' with far end of the course, Mrs For- It is Musselburgh's undulations history". man's is a pub at the back of the and subtle slopes and borrows, The money which became 4th green which boasted, until for however, which make any golfer available totalled around some inexplicable reason it was not spoon fed on target golf and £100,000 and came from the stopped, a special "golfers' win- dart board greens drool.
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