Fear and Lothian in Scotland
The Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which started life in 1744 as the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith and which hosted last month’s memorable Open Championship (its 16th), has long been regarded as Britain’s strictest, most selective, and most politically-incorrect golf club.
Run by famously overbearing secretaries – usually retired military personnel – the club has never felt the need to join the rest of the world in the 21st century, and stories illustrating its desire to keep itself to itself, and its somewhat anti-social visitor/guest policies are legion.
Not one but three major champions—Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw and Payne Stewart—have all either been instructed to leave the course or denied access altogether for not abiding by the club’s rules (no reports yet that Mickelson tried to play some moonlight golf on Sunday night).
Although a new secretary, Stuart McEwen – a former Director of Golf at the famous Gleneagles resort who is thought to be considerably more liberal-minded than his predecessors – could bring about change when he takes over from Alastair Brown soon, the club will for the time being a least continue to reject calls to admit female members. McEwen will be a mere employee of the club, so change, if indeed it ever happens, will only happen slowly.
A few years ago at my home course, I met and played with a billionaire from Hong Kong (not my usual crowd you understand. He was a golf fanatic who loved playing public courses, and we just got paired together on the 1st tee) who told me his own Muirfield story, one that substantiated every anecdote about the place I’d ever heard…
In Scotland for a few rounds of golf—Old Course, Turnberry, Muirfield, Troon, Gleneagles, Dornoch—he had spent the night prior to his round in the nearby Greywalls Hotel. In the morning, he walked to the clubhouse in good time for his round, but was told on arrival he was wearing unsuitable shoes. He quickly returned to the hotel, changed into a different pair, and retraced his steps back to the clubhouse…where he was told he was now late for his tee-time and would not be able to play even though he’d traveled several thousand miles and couldn’t see another soul on the course.
Golfers tend to cultivate stories, allowing the passage of time to ripen them into somewhat grander, more sensational versions of the truth. But this particular gentleman had nothing to gain from spinning me, a non-billionaire, his Muirfield yarn.
Because of its notoriety where outsiders are involved, most golfers perceive Muirfield as strictly out of bounds, believing there are no such things as visitor green fees and that the club doesn’t need you or your business. While the second part of that sentence is undoubtedly true, visitors are able to play the course, provided they do so on a Tuesday or Thursday, adhere to the foursomes (alternate shot) in the afternoon rule, and ideally get around in two and a half hours.
No, you’re probably not going to be given the red-carpet treatment; you may even get the impression the members have absolutely no desire whatsoever to welcome you into their 122-year-old, Hall Blyth-designed clubhouse. But for one day you need to disregard the cool, even frosty, reception and just be happy for the opportunity to play what is unquestionably one of the greatest courses in the world, one which most of the pros would opt for when asked to name the best course that hosts the Open.
Muirfield, originally designed by Old Tom Morris but redesigned by Harry Colt in 1923, is worthy of inter-continental travel by itself but, as with most of the great links courses in Scotland, you don’t have to travel far to find similarly enjoyable courses you’ll savor nearly as much. North Berwick’s enchanting West Links is many people’s favorite course, not just in Lothian but the entire country. Dunbar, Gullane (1, 2, and 3), Longniddry, Luffness, the nine-hole Musselburgh Links (possibly the oldest golf course in the world), Craigielaw, and the Glen Club will also keep you royally entertained.
East Lothian may not quite match Fife’s status and distinction, but you could land at Edinburgh Airport, point your rental car east toward the coast overlooking the Firth of Forth and enjoy a fantastic week-long golf adventure without once saying or hearing the names of St Andrews or Kingsbarns. And if you do manage to arrange a game at Muirfield, and can get in and out without being told to change your shoes, play quicker, or hold your knife and fork correctly at the luncheon table, you will surely need to update your list of most memorable golf experiences.
Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.
