montrose

Montrose Links is undoubtedly one of the oldest and most historic Links in Scotland, golf having been played here for more than 400 years. To a young Montrose lad by the name of James Melville goes the credit for recording the existence of golf at Montrose as early as 1562 so the game was obviously being played there prior to that date.

While Montrose cannot boast the permanency of the Old Course at St. Andrews for instance, there are still parts of the Championship Course which have been played over for more than 350 years. What Montrose can claim uniquely however, is to have had at one stage in its history, the course with the greatest number of holes. When Musselburgh had 5 holes Montrose had 25 and although they were not all played on every occasion they were used for a unique event in 1866 which attracted in Willie Park, Andrew Strath and Jamie Anderson, three players who were all Open Champions. The present Championship Course layout owes much to a design by Willie Park jnr, carried out in 1903, these included alterations to the layout two years earlier, on which Tom Morris had advised.

The Medal Course at Montrose is a majestic layout in the true traditions of Scottish Links golf and has hosted many important events in its history including the Scottish Professional Championship in 1967 and 1970, the Scottish Amateur Championship and Home Internationals in 1991. Because of all these factors the Links was honored by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in being chosen as a Final Qualifying Course for the Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999.

As in most towns on the East of Scotland there is about Montrose an unmistakable air that golf is the focal point of life in the community with discussions of little else.
In the Classic Golf Links of Great Britain and Ireland publication written by Donald Steel he concludes by saying "A Course which deserves recognition of a modern test as well as a monument to the past".

Montrose Medal Course is listed as number 38 in the top 100 courses in the Golf World's 1999 edition of the 1000 best courses of Britain and Ireland.