A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
Edinburgh
Davidson's Mains, Edinburgh
Plate II — Parkland course — tree-lined fairways, year-round play
Founded 1735. The oldest documented golf club in the world.
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, founded 1735, is the oldest documented organised golf club in the world — predating the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (1744) by nine years and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (1754) by nearly two decades. The club's own treatment of this fact is characteristically understated. It doesn't do publicity. It barely does a website.
The current course at Davidson's Mains, just west of central Edinburgh, was designed by Tom Morris and revised by James Braid. It is a tree-lined parkland of roughly 6,500 yards, with two burns crossing the fairways and greens that have been maintained to championship standard for over a century. Conditioning is regularly cited as among the best in Edinburgh — better, locally, than anywhere on the Edinburgh Leisure roster.
Visitor access exists but is limited. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays only, with phone-ahead booking required. £80 weekday, £120 weekend. Handicap certificate required. The clubhouse is restrained, traditional, and entirely lacking in tartan tat — exactly the establishment a 290-year-old society would run.
Worth playing for the history alone, even before the golf. Pair it with Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society (founded 1761, the fourth oldest club in the world, two miles west) for a half-day of Edinburgh golf institutions that most visitors walk past without knowing what they are. The two clubs together form a quieter, more genuine pilgrimage than the obvious Old Course route.
The Full Scorecard
Fields marked “Contact club” aren’t public-facing in a way we’ve been able to verify. Call the club directly for these — we’ll update the entry when we have it from source.
Conditions This Week
Scored 0–10 for golf — wind, rain, conditions · Full 7-region forecast →
Location
Davidson's Mains, Edinburgh · EH4 6BUOpen in OpenStreetMap →
While They Golf
Edinburgh isn't only for the golfers. Walks, drives, distilleries, castles, a long lunch — five picks within thirty minutes of the first tee.
The Edinburgh companion guide →★ Pair This Round ★
Three things within an hour of the first tee. Each open to visitors; each chosen for what suits a golfer's pace, not a tour bus's.
House · 5 min north
Edinburgh · 16th-century tower house with Edwardian extension
Free-to-enter Edinburgh Council castle on the Firth of Forth shore, ten minutes from the course. The grounds are walkable in an hour; the house tour is short but the Edwardian preservation is unusually complete.
Distillery · 25 min south-east
Edinburgh city centre · Edinburgh's first single-malt distillery in nearly a century (opened 2019)
City-centre distillery in a converted railway building below Holyrood Park. Tours combine the production walk-through with a tasting that includes their own gin and unaged whisky 'new make' — easier sipping than a 100-year-old peated malt.
Beach Walk · 10 min north
Cramond · Roman fort here from AD 142
Whitewashed harbour village at the mouth of the River Almond, with a tidal causeway out to Cramond Island (check tide times). The walk along the Forth shore from Cramond to Silverknowes is one of the underused Edinburgh outings.
Plan This Round
Where to Stay
Hotels, lodges and self-catering near the first tee. Map-style search via Stay22 covering Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Vrbo.
How to Get There
Edinburgh (EDI) is 25 minutes away by car. Train + onward taxi works for the carless visitor.
Insure Your Round
Most home contents policies don't cover golf clubs in transit. The picker matches you to the right kind of cover in two minutes.
Played here? Consider
Picked for parkland rounds in Scotland.
Outerwear
The mid-weight option for parkland — fully waterproof but lighter than the wind-spec links jackets. Packs into a back-pocket pouch when the sun comes out.
Layer
Scotland's premium sportswear name. Cut for a swing rather than a jog; the moisture-wicking suits warmer parkland rounds where the wind isn't doing the work.
Tech
Tree-lined parkland holes are exactly the situation where a rangefinder pays for itself. The V6's slope mode is allowed in any non-tournament round.
Stays Nearby
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of Davidson's Mains. Tap any property to check rates.
Rates and availability via Stay22. We may earn a small commission if you book — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work.
Frequently Asked
Nearby courses
While they golf — Edinburgh
For the non-golfer in Edinburgh →
The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is free and takes four hours — Dolly the sheep, Mary Queen of Scots' possessions, an Old Town rooftop view.
Getting there by train
On TripSCOTAbout 25 minutes by bus from Barnton. Edinburgh Waverley is the hub for ScotRail and inter-city services.
Read more about Edinburgh
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