Bruntsfield Links

Bruntsfield Links occupies a distinctive place in Scottish golf history as one of Edinburgh's oldest golfing grounds, with organized play dating back centuries on the public parkland near the city center. The course sits on Bruntsfield Links proper, a historic common ground where early forms of golf were played alongside the Burgess Golfing Society and other clubs before they relocated to Musselburgh and beyond. Willie Park, the four-time Open Championship winner from Musselburgh, contributed design work to the layout that exists today as a short nine-hole course.

The routing covers relatively compact terrain on gently rolling parkland within sight of Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat, making it one of the more scenically situated municipal courses in Britain. The holes are brief by modern standards, with the layout serving primarily as an accessible introduction to the game and a convenient practice ground for city residents. The course maintains its character as a public facility where beginners and casual players can experience golf on historic ground without the formality or expense of private clubs.

Bruntsfield Links represents an important thread in the evolution of Scottish golf, illustrating how the game transitioned from informal play on common lands to more structured layouts. The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, one of the world's oldest golf clubs, played here before establishing its current home at nearby Barnton, but the public course remains as a living connection to Edinburgh's deep golfing heritage and the democratic traditions of the game in Scotland.