The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society

The traditions of the Society date back to 1761 when the members played over Bruntsfield Links in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. At that time the bulk of the membership were the old Edinburgh merchants who would shut up shop and go for a game on the Links.

Initially, play on the Links was shared with the Edinburgh Burgess Golfers (now the Royal Burgess Golfing Society) and was limited to two months in the Spring and three months in the Autumn, the land being given over to pasture in the summer months when the grass was greener. During the Society’s long life at Bruntsfield many prizes were played for – inkstands, a drawing room lamp, a set of Waverley novels, a set of golf clubs. The only permanent and established trophies were the Gold Medal, the Society’s oldest of 1819, which had to be played for in uniform (a red coat) and the Cairns Medal of 1839 which was expressly intended for play at Musselburgh.

Play at Musselburgh was no new idea, not even in 1839. For years the members had been going there where the Links were open for play all the year round. There was also a strong Musselburgh presence at Bruntsfield where the McEwans and the Gourlays and George Robertson were in residence.