A unique slice of golfing history hiding in plain sight
Anyone can pick up a club and follow in the footsteps of the first women known to play the sport
A new sponsorship announcement for a sports club to tidy up its historic “club house” with a lick of paint and some tender loving care was by no means the Capital’s biggest story of the past week. But it did concern an Edinburgh gem that is not so much hidden, as hiding in plain sight.
A tiny building linked to one of the earliest places where golf was played – home to the world’s oldest golf club - formed years before the Royal & Ancient at St Andrews. And yet, the extent of the Capital’s influence on one of the world’s most popular sports remains under-appreciated.
The earliest records of women playing golf were recorded here. A report in the Caledonian Mercury in 1738 reported that two married ladies played a match at Bruntsfield Links, their husbands acting as caddies, and that the competition was won by the “charming Sally” and the news was picked up internationally.
Sporting history in one of the globe’s most popular sports – and one that continues in uniquely accessible fashion today as locals and visitors alike play the short-hole course, cheek by jowl with dog-walkers, cyclists, families, students and residents enjoying the undulating landscape with its views to Edinburgh Castle and Arthur’s Seat. A far cry from the hallowed fairways of Scotland’s elite links golf courses.
Much-loved landmark
Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Club members were delighted that an international hotel chain provided the wherewithal to refresh their distinctive clubhouse – a former Cabbies’ Hut situated on Bruntsfield Links. Its green livery has been restored, the hut exterior refurbished with a new door and new roof, and drainage improved through a new soakaway.
Cabbies note – not caddies. The hut was originally housed in nearby Marchmont as a shelter for the cab drivers of the horse-drawn cabs – short for “cabriolets” - as the taxi carriages were then known.
The Dubai-headquartered JA Hotels & Resorts operates the 4-star Bruntsfield Hotel, which looks directly across the links and is itself to undergo a major redevelopment later this year. General Manager Alistair Bruce was in no doubt the sponsorship was money well spent. “The starter hut is a much-loved feature of Bruntsfield Links and forms part of the rich history of one of the world’s oldest public golf courses. It is an important local landmark. Recognising its historical significance and its importance to local golfers and residents, the hotel was pleased to support its refurbishment and ongoing upkeep.”
Guests, particularly from overseas, “are unaware of the Short Hole Golf Course, its history, or the hut’s existence unless they take a walk around. Recently, thanks to our sponsorship of the refurbishment, the course has become a topic of conversation among our guests.”
“Most notably, we had 12 American golfers who were particularly fascinated by the course and the history of the hut.”
The hut dates back to the days of the Horse-drawn Trams and was originally located at Marchmont Road, where it had been a Cabbies’ Hut. It was also relocated to a putting green on Whitehouse Loan, before it came to Bruntsfield Links where it has served as the clubhouse for the Short Hole Golf Club since 1929, a central hub for competitions, featuring noticeboards and scoreboards to keep members updated on competition results.
Edinburgh, of course, is the tourism magnet that brings visitors to Scotland in greatest numbers. However Golf is also a hugely important driver of Scotland’s visitor economy. St Andrews, often described as the Home of Golf, is very much at the heart of its appeal. But in Bruntsfield and Leith Links, Edinburgh is home to two courses and clubs that are older, and that is without adding Musselburgh Links to the equation.
Golf tourism booming
The international appeal of golf means golf tourism is worth in excess of £300 million a year to the economy in Scotland, with overseas golfing visitors (around 25% of them from the US) spending on average £340 per day. A recent article in The Traveller magazine said the boom was “strengthening transatlantic air routes”.
And there’s no sign of that slowing down. The global golf tourism market is projected to grow from $18 billion to $27 billion over the next five years.
Golf has been played at the links since the 15th century. In its early days, golfers had to compete with other activities, notably quarrying stone for the fast-expanding city of Edinburgh. Aware of the competing tensions, in 1695 the city council granted permission for a small part of the links to be made available for quarrying “always being at ane distance from the place where the neighbours play at Goulf(sic).”
The golf club recognised as the oldest in the world played the six-hole course at Bruntsfield Links – the Royal Burgess which dates back to 1735. Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society came into existence in 1761 and was responsible for drafting some of the earliest rules of golf (for example, that the player furthest from the hole should play first). What is now the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is the world’s second oldest club, coming into existence in 1744, based at nearby Leith Links.
For context, the Royal & Ancient at St Andrews, responsible for the rules of golf as we now understand them, came into existence in 1754.
The members of both the Royal Burgess and Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society moved to their neighbouring homes in the north-west of the city in the later nineteenth century.
Just bring your clubs and play
In this same period, specifically in 1890, demand was such that the city council relocated “the long game” to a new 18-hole course at Braid Hill. That left the land at Bruntsfield Links itself, and in 1890 the 36-hole short-hole golf course was founded – and it is still going strong today, a unique and open golfing community.
A spokesman for Bruntsfield Short Hole Golf Club, told the Inquirer they were grateful for the support of the hotel, and then added: “At the golf club, there are no green fees - playing is completely free! Players simply need to bring their own clubs and balls. For those who prefer to rent equipment, The Golf Tavern offers clubs and balls for hire. Club membership is available to anyone aged 14 and above, and it includes access to regular weekly competitions during the summer season. New members are always welcome!”
“The holes range in length from 45 to 90 yards, offering a unique challenge over varied terrain. Throughout the year, the course is open for play from late April until September. During the winter months, from October to April, it reverts to a 9-hole layout. Both courses are maintained by the City of Edinburgh Council, supported by dedicated volunteers from the club who are committed to preserving this historic facility.”
Having recently played, (and inadvertently won), my first game on this amazing course last week, it is fitting to read now upon its history..
As we took a last few picture with Arthur's Seat in the horizon, more than one player in our two foursome sets remarked about what a magnificent backdrop and how fortunate we are to live in Edinburgh.