Designed by the famous Open champion and golf architect, James Braid, Royal Musselburgh Golf Club is a picturesque parkland course kept in tip-top shape and a treat to play, especially when you are coming into the home stretch on the last five holes.
There is a bevy of beauties starting with the short par 3, 14th hole. At only 149 yards how difficult could it be? It’s named “The Gully Hole” so figure it out! From the tee you can’t see what the hole has in store. And maybe it’s better you can’t since you have to carry over a 30 foot gully to a small green with fierce bunkers guarding the front. Take aim and fire away and hope the wind is your friend. If you come through that hole unscathed, hold your breath because you are about to tackle the hardest hole on the course, the 15th–a dogleg left, 440 yard par 4 with an undulating fairway and a green that you can’t see from the tee. The 16th is a good looking par 3 with steep, deep bunkers in front of the green and a plateaued green. If the flag is in the back of the green, give it plenty of club because that’s where the plateau is. The 18th needs a tee shot of at least 238 yards-more often than not, into the wind-to clear the slope in the centre of the fairways and give you a look at the green. A sliced second shot can have you bouncing your ball off the clubhouse and having to hit your approach with a gallery of golfers looking on.
