Jimmy Braid
The course's solitary par 5, named after the architect. Reachable in two for a longer hitter when the wind is helpful — most regulars take three but the 'Jimmy Braid' name carries quiet pressure to go for it.
East Lothian
Royal Musselburgh Golf Club
Prestonpans, East Lothian
Plate II — Parkland course — tree-lined fairways, year-round play
Holes
18
6,237 yards
Par
70
—
Type
Parkland
East Lothian
Walkability
★★★★☆
Walkable for most
Best Season
May–Sep
Year-round
Visitor Access
Open
Mid-week ideal
Parkland home of a historically significant club (founded 1774).
From the Notebook
Royal Musselburgh Golf Club was founded in 1774, making it the fifth oldest golf club in the world — behind only the Royal Burgess, the Honourable Company, the Royal and Ancient, and Bruntsfield Links in the recorded history of the game. The club holds the Silver Club, one of the oldest golf trophies in existence, and the Old Club Cup which dates from 1774. These are not replica props in a display case; they are the actual cups, used as the basis for early competition rules at the club in its founding years.
The course the club plays today is a parkland layout at Prestongrange House in Prestonpans, East Lothian — a James Braid and Harry S. Colt design that moved from Musselburgh Old Links in 1926, when the original shared ground became impractical for golf of the period's standard. The parkland character is not what the historical credentials suggest, and visitors occasionally arrive expecting a links and leave having played a very good parkland round instead. Par 70, 6,237 yards, tree-lined, with the Prestonpans coastline visible from the higher sections.
Visitor green fee is £45–£65. The club is welcoming to visitors and the green fee is honest value for a round on ground maintained to a high standard. The historical context — playing on a course owned by the fifth oldest golf club in the world, with trophies that predate most countries' constitutions — is available at no extra charge in the clubhouse, where the Silver Club and other artefacts are displayed. The train from Edinburgh Waverley to Prestonpans takes 18 minutes.
One Hole Worth Talking About
The hole everyone remembers.
The Full Scorecard
Everything else you might want to know.
Course
- Designer
- James Braid with F.G. Hawtree (1925)
- Founded
- 1774
- Style era
- Pre-modern foundation; Braid / Hawtree parkland (1925)
- Yardage (W)
- 6,237 yards
- Yardage (Y)
- Contact club
- Yardage (R)
- Contact club
- Course rating
- Contact club
- Slope rating
- Contact club
- Bunkers
- Contact club
- Greens
- Contact club
- Walking time
- Contact club
- Open season
- Year-round
Visitor
- Dress code
- Smart casual, collared shirts
- Spikes
- Soft only
- Booking
- Contact club
- Twilight
- Contact club
- Winter rate
- Contact club
- Senior
- Contact club
- Junior
- Contact club
- Buggy
- Available, ask pro shop
- Trolley
- Contact club
- Caddie
- Contact club
Practical
- Address
- Prestonpans, East Lothian, EH32 9RP
- Phone
- 01875 810276
- Nearest train
- Drem
- Nearest airport
- Edinburgh (EDI) (45 min)
- Parking
- Free
- Wi-Fi
- Yes, clubhouse
- Card payment
- Yes
- Membership
- Contact club
- Joining fee
- Contact club
- Waiting list
- Contact club
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
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Scored 0–10 for golf — wind, rain, conditions · Full 7-region forecast →
Location
Royal Musselburgh Golf Club on the map
Prestonpans, East Lothian · EH32 9RPOpen in OpenStreetMap →
While They Golf
For the non-golfer in the party.
East Lothian isn't only for the golfers. Walks, drives, distilleries, castles, a long lunch — five picks within thirty minutes of the first tee.
The East Lothian companion guide →★ Pair This Round ★
A morning at Royal Musselburgh, an afternoon worth the drive.
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.
Mansion · 0 min the clubhouse itself
Prestongrange House grounds
Prestongrange (the clubhouse) · 16th-century mansion; the clubhouse since 1925
The clubhouse is itself a 16th-century mansion — the grandest clubhouse exterior on the East Lothian coast.
Industrial Heritage · 5 min in the village
Prestongrange Museum
Prestonpans · Free industrial-heritage museum
Free museum on the site of the former Prestongrange colliery — Cornish beam engine, Hoffmann brick kiln, the social history of mining East Lothian.
Mining Heritage · 25 min south
National Mining Museum Scotland
Newtongrange · Five-star industrial heritage attraction
Preserved Victorian colliery — one of the strongest small museums in Scotland.
Plan This Round
Three things to sort before you tee off.
Where to Stay
Beds in East Lothian
Hotels, lodges and self-catering near the first tee. Map-style search via Stay22 covering Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Vrbo.
Hotels & lodges nearbyfrom £89/ntSelf-catering & cottagesfrom £140/ntBed & breakfastfrom £85/nt
via Stay22 / Booking.com
How to Get There
From Drem or Edinburgh (EDI)
Edinburgh (EDI) is 45 minutes away by car. Train + onward taxi works for the carless visitor.
Train to DremLNER / ScotRailHire car at Edinburgh (EDI)45 min driveLocal bus from towncheck timetable
via Trainline & airport hire
Insure Your Round
Cover for clubs, cancellation, hole-in-one
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
Three things worth packing.
Picked for parkland rounds in Scotland.
Outerwear
Galvin Green Aldous jacket
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
Castore performance polo
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
Bushnell Tour V6 rangefinder
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
Where to stay near Prestonpans
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of Prestonpans. 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
Visitors usually want to know.
- Can visitors play at weekends?
- Visitors are welcome but mid-week is markedly easier and quieter. Confirm a weekend tee time as far ahead as you can — popular Saturdays book up first.
- How early can I book a tee time?
- Phone or email the pro shop to confirm. Most Scottish clubs accept visitor bookings 7–30 days ahead; group bookings of 8+ can be arranged further ahead.
- Is there a dress code?
- Smart casual, collared shirts. Soft only.
- Are buggies allowed?
- Yes, available at the pro shop. Most members walk with a trolley though — the course is genuinely walkable.
- What's the best time of year to play?
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep for full conditions. Late May and early Sep are quietest with fair value. Year-round.
Nearby courses
East Lothian golf hub
Browse all East Lothian courses →
Sixteen golf courses on Scotland's Golf Coast — from Muirfield and North Berwick to £15 municipal Musselburgh — all inside thirty miles of Edinburgh. You can play three in two days without changing hotel.
While they golf — Gullane
For the non-golfer in Gullane →
Climb Gullane Hill for views to Bass Rock and the Pentlands, then lunch at Greywalls — Lutyens' 1901 Edwardian house beside Muirfield. Easily fills six hours.
Getting there by train
On TripSCOTEdinburgh Waverley station
About 20 minutes by taxi from Prestonpans. The hub for ScotRail, LNER, and Avanti services across Scotland.
Read more about East Lothian
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