Bruntsfield Links Golf Course
A vital part of golf history in Scotland, Bruntsfield Links lies in the grand shadows of Edinburgh Castle. Regarded by many not as just another of the city's beautiful parks but as the oldest short-hole gold course in the world, Bruntsfield Links has played a pivotal role in the history and development of golfing in Scotland.
No account of golf history in Scotland is complete without mention of Bruntsfield Links - golf has been played on the Links from as early as the 1700's when The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh was founded. Believed by some to be the oldest golf society in the world, this ancient golf club can trace its existence back to 1735 from public recordings made in the Edinburgh Almanac from 1834.
The Bruntsfield Links Society was founded in 1761. This group of golfers along with the Burgess Society shared the use of Bruntsfield Links for many years. Members for these clubs were made up of local merchants who enjoyed playing golf on the course and drinking ale in the nearby Golf Tavern.
The Bruntsfield Links also had many other uses and were often taken over by horse trade shows, travelling fairs, grazing animals and local people going about their daily business. By the nineteenth century the Links had become so congested that the golf clubs decided to move outside of the city to Musselburgh.
Today Bruntsfield Links remains one of Scotland's few free public golf courses. Looked after by the City Council's local green keeper it is a beautiful stretch of inner city parkland that also offers a rich and colourful history. If you would like to play we are happy to supply you with clubs and golf balls free of charge. You can then simply walk out of the front door and enjoy playing the oldest short-hole golf course in the world! The green starting hut is where the first tee is and you can usually find, pinned to it, a guide to the holes..