James Braid parkland · East Lothian

Royal Musselburgh Golf Club

Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland · Area: East Lothian

Can we play it?

Yes, visitors can play seven days a week. No handicap certificate is needed, but you must be able to play to a reasonable standard. Add it to your trip and Scotland Golf Tours requests the tee time for you.

• Access

  Royal Musselburgh Golf Club dates from at least 1774, when its Old Club Cup was first played for. The club calls itself the sixth oldest golf club in the world, and the cup the oldest trophy still played for anywhere. For its first 150 years the club played the Old Course on Musselburgh links, and it became Royal in 1876. In 1925 it moved to Prestongrange House at Prestonpans, about 10 miles east of Edinburgh. James Braid laid out the course, which opened in September 1926 with a match between four Open champions: Braid, J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon and Sandy Herd. A new layout by Mungo Park opened in 1939, and the club says the course has been remodelled since. Today it is a par 70 parkland course of 6,254 yards, in wooded grounds with views over the Firth of Forth. The clubhouse is Prestongrange House, a 16th-century mansion. There is also a 300-yard driving range, a short-game area and a six-hole short course.

• The catch

  It's a parkland course, not a links, so it plays quite differently from Gullane or Muirfield. Refunds are tight: the deposit is never returned, full payment is due 14 days before play, and even cancelling more than 30 days ahead gets back only half of the rest. Jeans aren't allowed on the course, and mobile phones can only be used in the car park and locker room.

• Our tip

  Royal Musselburgh is about 25 minutes from central Edinburgh and 35 from the airport, closer than Gullane or North Berwick. That makes it an easy arrival-day or last-day round, or a pairing with Longniddry, Craigielaw or Kilspindie, each about 15 minutes away. Midweek golf-day packages for 8 or more, with a morning roll, coffee and lunch, start at £65 each, below the standard green fee. Save something for the finish: the 149-yard 14th, the Gully Hole, is a blind tee shot over a 30-foot gully to a small green.

Course type

Parkland

Visitor days

Daily, seven days a week. The club charges more at weekends than midweek, and doesn't publish set visitor tee-time hours.

Handicap limit

No handicap required. Players must be able to play to a reasonable standard; the club can ask players who can't to leave the course, with no refund.

Green fee

$145–$175£110–£130 · 2026 · checked 22 Oct 2026

Rates

2026 visitor rates (the club hasn't published 2027 rates yet): £110 a round midweek (Monday–Friday), £130 at weekends. Twilight: £50 midweek, £65 at weekends. Under-18s pay £25 midweek and £30 at weekends. Midweek golf-day packages for 8 or more: The Gully from £65 each (morning roll and coffee, a round, soup and sandwich lunch) and Prestongrange from £75 each (morning roll and coffee, a round, two-course meal). Society packages start at £45 a player in 2026. Armed forces and veterans' rates start at £35. Actual rates vary by time of day: on 22 October 2026 the club's tee sheet for Friday 23 October showed £90 at 09:08, £80 from 10:04, £65 from 12:12 and £50 from 15:00.

How to book

With your trip: Scotland Golf Tours requests it for youThe club also takes bookings direct

Caddies

Not published by the club

Buggies and trolleys

Buggies cost £30 a round or £50 a day. Reserve one ahead with your tee time. Electric (PowaKaddy) trolleys cost £15 a round (£20 a day) and pull trolleys £5 (£8 a day). A top-brand hire set costs £30 a round, with a pull trolley. The club doesn't publish an age or driving-licence rule for buggies.

Check-in

Report to the Professional's Shop before your round with your booking confirmation, and pay any fees still due there. The clubhouse opens at 8am, with breakfast from 9am.

Nearest airport

Edinburgh Airport (EDI) · about 35 min

How to get a tee time

Put Royal Musselburgh in your trip and the specialists handle the booking.

Build a trip around Royal Musselburgh

Other courses on our list nearby. Drive times are best case, without traffic. Add the ones you like and we’ll plan the route.

• Royal Musselburgh Golf Club · you’re herein your trip
• +Longniddry15 min
• +Craigielaw15 min
• +Kilspindie15 min

2027 dates to know

• The 155th Open at St Andrews runs 11–18 July 2027. Royal Musselburgh is not one of the four announced 2027 Final Qualifying venues.
• The club hasn't published its 2027 open competition dates yet. In 2026 it held eleven open competitions between 9 May and 5 September.

FAQ

Can visitors play Royal Musselburgh?

Yes. Visitor tee times are open seven days a week.

Can you book Royal Musselburgh for us?

Yes. Build your trip with Royal Musselburgh in it and Scotland Golf Tours requests the tee time and sends a final quotation. Nothing is booked until you confirm.

Can we book it ourselves?

Yes, directly with the club. If Royal Musselburgh is one of several courses on your trip, it’s simpler to plan the whole trip in one go.

Do we need a handicap certificate?

No. The club doesn't ask for one, but you must be able to play to a reasonable standard.

Can we rent golf carts?

Yes. Buggies cost £30 a round (£50 a day); reserve one ahead with your tee time. The club doesn't publish a driving-licence rule. Electric trolleys cost £15 and pull trolleys £5.

Are caddies available?

The club's website doesn't mention caddies, so plan to walk with a trolley or take a buggy. If you want a caddie, ask with your tee-time request.

What if our plans change?

The deposit is never refunded, and full payment is due 14 days before play. Cancel more than 30 days ahead and you get back 50% of the rest; more than 15 days ahead, 25%; under 7 days, nothing. You can pass the booking to another golfer. If the club closes the course, for example for bad weather, you get a full refund or a new tee time.

1. 1. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Visitors (2026 green fees, packages, equipment, dining, dress code)22 Oct 2026
2. 2. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: The Course22 Oct 2026
3. 3. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Course Layout (scorecard)22 Oct 2026
4. 4. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Professional Shop (buggy, trolley and club hire)22 Oct 2026
5. 5. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Home22 Oct 2026
6. 6. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: History22 Oct 2026
7. 7. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: History 1760–182822 Oct 2026
8. 8. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: History 1828–189922 Oct 2026
9. 9. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: History 1900–22 Oct 2026
10. 10. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: The Club House22 Oct 2026
11. 11. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Weddings & Events (location and views)22 Oct 2026
12. 12. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Contact Us (address and directions)22 Oct 2026
13. 13. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Open Competitions22 Oct 2026
14. 14. Royal Musselburgh Golf Club: Open Competitions Details 2026 (PDF)22 Oct 2026
15. 15. Royal Musselburgh visitor booking and booking Terms & Conditions (BRS)22 Oct 2026
16. 16. The Open: Final Qualifying venues 2027 confirmed22 Oct 2026
17. 17. Carberry Tower Mansion House and Estate22 Oct 2026
18. 18. The Lodge at Craigielaw22 Oct 2026
19. 19. Gleneagles Townhouse22 Oct 2026

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