| The well known as well as venerable golfing | | | | The list of rules that they set down, originally |
| course at Muirfield Scotland has had the honor of | | | | titled "Articles and Laws on Playing Golf" became |
| being ranked highly among the great golf courses | | | | known a the Leith Code , and became the first |
| of the world - first in Golf Magazines " among the | | | | set of golfing rules to be written down, It was so |
| top 100 golf courses in the world" in 1983 and | | | | reasonable and efficacious that The Royal and |
| then ranked both second and fifth in that very | | | | Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews adopted it when |
| same poll in 1987 and 1989. This while all the while | | | | their organization was formed in 1754. |
| the Muirefeld golf course held its lead as the | | | | These Gentleman Golfers were sometimes later |
| number one golf course in the British Isles. The | | | | formalized as the Honorable Company of |
| Muirfeld golf course itself has a long tradition and | | | | Edinburgh Golfers. In 1836 they moved from the |
| is known well as for its most difficult golf "routing | | | | five-hole Leith Links to the links at Mussenburgh |
| plan". This world famous as well as historic golf | | | | on the east of Edinburgh. It seems that |
| center is laid out in a structure resembling a "circle | | | | Musselburgh itself had been a golfing ground from |
| within a circle" making for winds that can come | | | | at least 1672. |
| and play torment to any avid golfer's golf ball | | | | It was at Musselburgh in 1873 that The Honorable |
| from any of a number of unpredictable directions. | | | | Company consented to an agreement - with the |
| Not only that but this magnificent and historic golf | | | | Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, and |
| course is home to the Honorable Company of | | | | Prestwyck Golf Club (who hosted the first Open |
| Edinburgh Golfers, known as the world's oldest | | | | Championship in 1860) - for the staging of the |
| continuous golf club. The Honorable Company is | | | | Open Championship at Musselburgh, the Old |
| the direct descendant of a group of golfers | | | | Course at St. Andrews and Perswyck, on a |
| known as "The Gentleman Golfers of Leith". This | | | | yearly rotational basis. |
| group played at Leith Links (to the west of | | | | A little over half a century after the Honorable |
| Edinburgh) which were first used as golf links in | | | | Company had begun play at Musselburgh, they |
| 1593. | | | | migrated once again ( taking their position at the |
| Historical accounts place the Gentleman Golfers of | | | | Open with them ) to Muirfield ( yet even further |
| Leith as formally recognized by the Edinburgh | | | | east on the Firth of Forth), which the Honorable |
| Town Council on March 7, 1744, who further | | | | Company developed for golf, and opened for play |
| presented the group with a silver golf club for an | | | | on 3, May 1891. |
| annual golf contest. With this formal recognition, | | | | Muirfield's seaside location and picturesque |
| the Gentleman Golfers set down a list of 13 | | | | surroundings, offer an aesthetic banquet second |
| golfing rules and began maintaining what has by | | | | to none. It has been said that the Muirfeld golf |
| now become the oldest continuous record kept | | | | course is as close to perfection as is ever availed |
| by any golfing club in the world. | | | | to earth, sky, sea and golfing skill. |