Montrose Medal Golf Course

Located on the links between the town of Montrose and the coast, the Montrose Medal Golf Course is recognised as the fifth oldest golf course in the world. Golf has been played on the Medal Course since at least 1562, when the young James Melville (1556 - 1614), who became a church leader, recorded in his diary that he learned to play the game here. The Montrose Medal could also once claim to have been the golf course with the greatest number of holes; when others had only a few, this course had twenty-five, although all were rarely played. An event in 1866 did bring all the holes into play and attracted three open champions; namely Jamie Anderson (1842 - 1905), Willie Park (1834 - 1903) and Andrew Strath (1836-68). The course was redesigned in 1903 by the son of one of these champions, another Willie Park (1864 - 1925).

Described as "a magnificent stretch of marvellously natural ground" the course challenges golfers with its undulating fairways and fast greens, made more difficult when the wind whips inland from the sea. Extending to 6470 yards (5916m), this par 71 course was a final qualifying course for the Open Championship (1999) and has hosted the Scottish Professional Championship (1967 and 1970), the Scottish Amateur Championship (1975), British Boys' Championship and Internationals (1991) and the girl's equivalent in 1997.

The course is administered by the Montrose Links Trust, which also runs the newer and shorter Broomfield course that lies immediately to the north. It is played by members of the Royal Montrose Golf Club, the Mercantile Golf Club and the Montrose Caledonia Golf Club, who all have club houses nearby.


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