Leith
In 1744, Edinburgh Town Council agreed to present a Silver Club to the winner of an annual golf competition on the Links of Leith. The Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, later renamed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, codified and wrote the original Rules of golf as a pre-condition of receiving the Club.
Thus, the first formally constituted tournament took place on 2nd April 1744 and John Rattray, an Edinburgh surgeon, was the Victor. Rattray became “Captain of The Golf” and attached a silver ball to the Silver Club, inscribed with his name. Our predecessors authored the original Rules; they conceived the first formal competition; they established the role of Captain; and the Silver Club stands alone as the oldest trophy in the world of golf.
Leith was the physical and spiritual home of The Honourable Company for almost a century. A Golf House was built, Saturday Dinners were enjoyed, matches were made and bets were placed; traditions that continue to this day. However, Leith Links became overcrowded and this, combined with fiscal challenges, prompted the Club to look for a new home in the 1830s.
Musselburgh
From the 1820s onwards, Members played more and more at Musselburgh and by 1836 the Club had relocated. In 1865, a dedicated Clubhouse was built in Golf Place at the west end of the Links. Musselburgh was at the forefront of the development of golf and the Honourable Company, as one of the original subscribers for the Claret Jug, along with Prestwick and the R&A, hosted six Opens at Musselburgh between1874 and 1889.
During this period, golf became more and more popular and once again the Links became too busy. After much deliberation and debate, in July 1890, The Honourable Company voted to move to Muirfield.
Muirfield
The decision to move for a second time was both brave and far-sighted. There was no course, no Clubhouse and the nearest train station was 4 miles from Muirfield. However, in May 1891 the Tom Morris designed course was opened, with the new Clubhouse completed that December. In 1892 Muirfield hosted the first 72 hole Open Championship.
In 1922, the Club purchased the existing links and added a further 50 acres of land. Harry Colt, with excellent advice from Robert Maxwell, past Captain and twice Amateur Champion at Muirfield, re-designed the layout and, for the first time in two centuries, The Honourable Company owned its own golf course.
Members of The Honourable Company, now numbering men and women, have inherited traditions, qualities, physical objects and intangible attributes that exist only because they have been valued, conserved and handed on from generation to generation. It is the rich inheritance from the Gentlemen Golfers at Leith, the legacy of history and heritage and the initiatives and foresight of Members that have sustained the Club for over 275 years.
The Honourable Company welcomes men and women golfers to play the course throughout the year and everyone coming to Muirfield is encouraged to enjoy the atmosphere of our Clubhouse.
Muirfield has been the venue for many special events: 16 Open and 11 Amateur Championships; the Ryder, Walker and Curtis Cups; and numerous international and national tournaments. Most recently we hosted the AIG Women’s Open Championship, early August 2022.
The course at Muirfield was created by Old Tom Morris in 1891 and then re-designed in 1925 by Harry Colt using the original area and an additional 50 acres purchased by the Club.
