Musselburgh Racecourse

Musselburgh Links, The Old Golf Course in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, is generally accepted as being one of the oldest golf courses in the world. The course is not to be confused with The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club or the Levenhall Links. Musselburgh Links is a publicly owned course, administered by East Lothian Council. Two golf clubs, Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club and Musselburgh Links Ladies Golf Club, are based at the course. The course has nine holes, and is a par 34.

The 1874 Open Championship was the 14th Open Championship, held 10 April at Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Mungo Park won the Championship, by two strokes from runner-up Tom Morris Jr. This was the first Open Championship played at Musselburgh. Play started at about 12 noon in dull and showery weather but later in the day the weather improved. The course, especially the greens, "were rather heavy".Many of the spectators followed Tom Morris Jr. and Willie Park Sr. who were paired together. Morris started badly and came to grief in several bunkers. Park scored 40 in the first round to Morris's 42. However, as the day progressed, Morris improved while Park fell away. The best player in the first two rounds was Mungo Park with scores of 37 and 38. At this stage he led by 4 from G. McCachnie, 5 from George Paxton with Tom Morris Jr. and Willie Park a full 8 shots behind. Mungo Park had a third round 43 with G. McCachnie, George Paxton, Jamie Anderson and Tom Morris Jr. each four behind at that stage. Bob Martin was a further shot behind after a third round 38. Mungo Park scored 41 in his final round and although Morris again played a useful round he still finished two behind. McCachnie fell away with a closing 47. "During the last round the utmost excitement prevailed, and as each couple came in a knot of spectators gathered round them to ascertain what luck had attended them."

The 1889 Open Championship was the 29th Open Championship, held 8 November at the Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Andrew Kirkaldy and Willie Park Jr. were tied on 155 each. They had a 36-hole playoff on 11 November, Park winning by five strokes from Kirkaldy. This was the sixth and last time the Open was played at Musselburgh. It was replaced by Muirfield as the venue for the 1892 Open Championship. A number of players scored 39 in the first round but after two round Kirkaldy had the lead with a total of 77. Park was a stroke behind on 78 with Ben Sayers on 79. After the third round, Kirkaldy and Park drew clear of the field, Kirkaldy still holding a one stroke lead. Kirkaldy led by two after Park made a bad start to the final round. However Kirkaldy finished badly, taking four at the short 7th and 9th holes while Park took three at the two holes and so the two player were tied on 155, four clear of Sayers. Play started until 10:30 a.m. "but as the day wore on it became apparent that an earlier start would have been more satisfactory". The problems with playing on a nine-hole course in November became clear and players not in contention were offered 5 shillings not to play in the final round so that the leading players could finish before darkness descended. As it was, the last few competitors played in the dark. The playoff took place three days later. Park got off to the best start in the playoff and led by four after the first round. However, in the second round Park was in trouble at the 3rd hole where he had to lift, taking a two stroke penalty, and taking eight. Park was in more trouble at the next two holes and Kirkaldy took a one stroke lead at that point. However, Park played the last four holes four strokes better than Kirkaldy and finished the morning play with a three-shot lead. After an hour break and in front of about a thousand spectators both played an excellent third round, Park scoring 37 to Kirkaldy's 38, so that Park now led by four strokes. Kirkaldy reduced the lead to three at the first hole of the final round but then they halved the next six holes. The championship was finally decided at the 8th where Kirkaldy was bunkered and took six. Park's win marked the end of Scottish hegemony at the Open Championship. His victory was the 29th consecutive victory for Scottish golfers. The streak was broken the next year at the 1890 Open Championship by Englishman John Ball. In general, golfers from Jersey and England would dominate the Open in the 1890s, winning eight of the ten events. This streak of 29 consecutive major championship victories (none of the other major championships existed yet) from one nation remains the longest ever. The next closest is 17 consecutive victories from American golfers that ended at the 1947 U.S. Open.

The 1877 Open Championship was the 17th Open Championship, held 6 April at Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Jamie Anderson won the Championship, by two strokes from runner-up Bob Pringle. Davie Strath and Bob Ferguson played together but Strath had a disappointing 45 in the first round which left him well behind the leaders. Ferguson also started badly but recovered to score 40. William Brown led on 39 with Ferguson and Jamie Anderson on 40. After two rounds, three players were level on 80: Brown, Ferguson and William Cosgrove with Anderson and Bob Pringle only two behind. Strath was five behind on 85. Anderson scored 37 in the third round while Ferguson could only manage 40 and Davie Strath scored 38. Anderson now led on 119 with Ferguson on 120, Ferguson on 122 and Strath on 123. In the final round Strath took 9 at the second to drop out of contention. Ferguson also had a disappointing last round and Anderson's 41 was enough to give him the Championship.

The 1880 Open Championship was the 20th Open Championship, held 9 April 1880 at Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Bob Ferguson won the Championship, by five strokes from runner-up Peter Paxton. A number of players were absent because of the short notice given for the competition. Jamie Anderson, winner of the previous three Open Championships was amongst those that were missing. Good weather brought out many spectators. The Championship was played over four rounds of the nine-hole Musselburgh course. Andrew Kirkaldy scored a hole-in-one at the eighth hole in his second round and almost repeated the feat in his third round. After three rounds Bob Ferguson was tied for the lead with Peter Paxton with Ned Cosgrove only a shot behind. In the final round Ferguson scored 39 to Paxton's and Cosgrove's 44s to win by five strokes.

The 1883 Open Championship was the 23rd Open Championship, held 16 November at the Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. Willie Fernie and Bob Ferguson were tied on 158 each. They had a 36-hole playoff on 17 November, Fernie winning by a single stroke from Ferguson.The weather was dull with light winds. Play did not begin until about 11:30 and with an early sunset the final groups played their last few holes in near darkness. Fernie led at lunch with rounds of 38 and 37. His total of 75 was two ahead of Willie Park Jr. and three ahead of Ferguson, the defending champion who had had rounds of 38 and 40. Fernie continued playing well although he took eight at the 3rd hole of his third round. Disaster came at the 2nd hole of the final round where he took 10. Despite this he had rounds of 40 and 43 and a total of 158. Park dropped out of contention in the afternoon and finished on 165. Interest now switched to Ferguson who was playing in the second to last group. His third round 42 seemed to put him out of the running but, playing in near darkness, he had a good last round of 38 to finish on 158 and tie with Fernie. Willie Brown was the best scorer in the afternoon with two rounds in the thirties but he finished on 160, two behind the leaders. The playoff on the following day was close throughout. Light rain fell during the first and last rounds but, despite this, there was a large crowd to watch the play. Ferguson got off to the better start and was soon two strokes up. Ferguson dropped two strokes at the 8th but Fernie took four at the last to drop a shot behind again. In the second round Ferguson again dropped two strokes on the 8th to level the scores again and dropping another at the last was now behind for the first time. When play resumed after lunch, the first three holes were halved before Ferguson levelled the match again at the short 4th. Fernie dropped another shot at the short 7th so Ferguson took the lead again. In the last round, Fernie again took the lead but by the time they reached the 8th tee the scores were level. Both players were on the green in two but Fernie three-putted and Ferguson took the lead to the last hole. Ferguson had the honour and hit his tee shot left of the hole while Fernie put his to four yards. Ferguson's first putt was short and then Fernie holed his putt for a two. "Quietness having been restored" Ferguson missed his putt and took four to give Fernie the Championship.

The 1886 Open Championship was the 26th Open Championship, held 5 November at the Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. David Brown won by two strokes from Willie Campbell. The contest consisted of four rounds of the nine-hole course. There were 42 entries, including seven amateurs. Horace Hutchinson and Johnny Laidlay were the two leading amateurs playing. Local Musselburgh professionals dominated the field, providing 19 of the professional entries. Brown and John Lambert led after the first round, both scoring 38. Lambert and Willie Campbell led after two rounds on 78, with Brown on 79 with Willie Fernie and Ben Campbell. Brown had an excellent 37 in the third round and took a one-stroke lead over Willie Campbell. They both fared badly at the 3rd hole, where Brown took 7 and Campbell took 8. Campbell was ahead in the final round until he took seven at the 5th, having been bunkered twice on the hole. Eventually Brown finished two ahead of Campbell, finishing with two threes to Campbell's two fours. Willie Park Jr. finished strongly, but his chances were ruined by taking 34 on the first six holes of his first round.

Pinkie House is a historic house, built around a three-storey tower house located in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. The house dates from the 16th century, was substantially enlarged in the early 17th century, and has been altered several times since. Its location at grid reference NT348726 is to the east of the town centre, on the south side of the High Street. The building now forms part of Loretto School, an independent boarding school. Pinkie House is not far from the site of the disastrous Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, fought in 1547.

Musselburgh Tolbooth is a municipal building in the High Street in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. The tolbooth, which was the headquarters of Musselburgh Burgh Council, is a Category A listed building. At right angles and attached to it is the Musselburgh Town House.

Levenhall Links is a coastal, industrial, and recreational area at Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, UK; it is adjacent to Musselburgh Racecourse, Morrison's Haven and Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum. Its western boundary is the River Esk and its eastern is at Morrison's Haven. Levenhall Links is 134 hectares of land reclaimed from the sea by building a sea wall and pumping large amounts of pulverised fuel ash into a number of ash lagoons. This infill site for fly ash from the coal fired Cockenzie Power Station has been partially restored and landscaped, shallow pools for wading birds have been created, and the area has become a popular site for birdwatchers, as well as an informal golf practice area. The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club originated at Levenhall Links before moving to Prestongrange House.

The River Esk (Brythonic: Isca (water), Scottish Gaelic: Easg (water)), also called the Lothian Esk, is a river that flows through Midlothian and East Lothian, Scotland. It initially runs as two separate rivers: the North Esk and the South Esk.

Inveresk (Gaelic: Inbhir Easg) is a village in East Lothian, Scotland situated 5⁄8 mi (1 km) to the south of Musselburgh. It has been designated a conservation area since 1969. It is situated on slightly elevated ground on the north bank of a loop of the River Esk. This ridge of ground, 20 to 25 metres above sea level, was used by the Romans as the location for Inveresk Roman Fort in the 2nd century AD.The prefix "Inver" (Gaelic inbhir) means a river mouth and refers to the point where the River Esk meets the Firth of Forth.The village was formerly in the Midlothian parish of Inveresk and developed separately from the burgh of Musselburgh.