The story of golf at Carnoustie begins with Sir Robert Maule (1493–1560), the first documented links golfer.
Famous for his fiery temperament and generosity, Sir Robert is said to have started the tradition of the loser buying drinks. Although he never learned to read and write, he became Sheriff of Angus.
The legend of his play on Barry Links has helped shape Carnoustie into the golf icon it is today.
Carnoustie, with its rich golfing heritage, is not just a key player in Scotland but in the global golf scene. Members of the Carnoustie Golf Club were instrumental in founding the PGA of Australia in 1911 and the PGA of America in 1916, leaving a lasting impact on everything from golf swings and golf club design to golf course architecture.
Carnoustie is home to three highly regarded golf courses: the Burnside Course, the Buddon Course, and the renowned Championship Course, consistently ranked among the world’s best golf courses.
The Championship Course is one of the ultimate tests in links golf, featuring what many consider to be the toughest closing holes in golf. With eight Open Championship titles under its belt, including the 147th Open in 2018, it’s seen iconic wins by golfing legends including:
Ben Hogan’s victory in 1953 stands out as one of the most memorable in golf history. Just 16 months after a life-threatening car crash, Hogan made his comeback, winning the US Open in what became known as the “Miracle at Merion” before travelling to Scotland.
On the final day of the championship, despite exhaustion and flu symptoms, he played with unmatched determination to set a new course record of 68 and secure a four-shot victory. This win marked Hogan’s third consecutive major victory, a record only later matched by Jack Nicklaus and surpassed by Tiger Woods.
Carnoustie has also hosted other major events like the Women’s British Open, three Senior Open Championships, and is one of the three courses used for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Hickory golf is a unique variation of the game played with hickory-shafted clubs, either made before 1935 or designed to replicate those from that era.
In the early days of golf, from the late 17th century, wooden clubs were crafted from materials like apple, pearwood, ash, thorn, greenheart, and lancewood. By the mid-19th century, hickory became the preferred material for club shafts due to its strength and flexibility. Even today, hickory is sourced exclusively from the United States.
Golfers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were considered artists, with clubs that were more works of art than equipment, typically with names instead of numbers. It wasn’t until 1924, when the USGA legalized steel shafts, that the hickory era began to wind down.
Today, hickory golf is still popular around the world, especially in Europe and the United States. The sport’s popularity has grown as more players appreciate using traditional clubs and enjoy the social element that comes with it.
Many players take to the course in authentic period costumes, using original pre-1935 hickory clubs. Unlike modern clubs, which are more forgiving, hickory clubs reward proper technique and punish the player for mistakes.
The World Hickory Open Championship, first held in 2005 and founded by hickory enthusiast Lionel Freedman, is a key event in the sport. It has taken place at several courses across Angus, including Carnoustie’s Burnside course, Monifieth Medal, and Montrose 1562. The competition was held in the region for five years, up until 2017.
In 2016, the championship was hosted at Carnoustie’s Panmure links, where Sandy Lyle triumphed after two days of competitive play.
James Braid, one of the leading golfers of his time, won the prestigious Open Championship five times and was the first to break 70 in an Open round, shooting a remarkable 69 at Royal St. George’s in 1905.
While his golfing achievements are legendary, Braid’s legacy lives on through the golf courses he designed and remodelled. Known for his clever use of dog-leg angles and challenging pot bunkers, Braid’s designs remain some of the most testing and enjoyable courses in the world, with over 200 across the UK, one in the USA, and five in Angus.
Carnoustie Championship: Though not originally designed by James Braid, the Carnoustie Championship Course is a prime example of his work. In 1926 Braid remodelled the course, updating it to Open Championship standard. Today, the course is considered one of the most challenging and rewarding in the world.
Arbroath: This classic links course offers subtle undulations that create testing challenges. Exposed to sea breezes from the east, the traditional course was initially designed by Old Tom Morris in 1877. James Braid redesigned it in 1931, adding his signature touches that enhanced its playability.
Panmure: Founded in 1845, a stunning links course in Barry. Originally using a nine-hole layout, Panmure expanded to 18 holes in 1880. It wasn’t until 1922 that James Braid’s design suggestions shaped the course into the championship venue it is today, a place where even the most seasoned golfer can enjoy a challenge.
Edzell: Set against the scenic Grampian mountains, Edzell Golf Course was initially laid out in 1895 by Bob Simpson, with James Braid’s redesigning the venue in 1933. The course has since been updated by Martin Ebert, who worked on the Turnberry and Royal Portrush courses.
Brechin: Founded in 1893, Brechin Golf Club began with a nine-hole course at Trinity Muir. In 1926, after playing the course, Braid was so impressed that he made several suggestions for improvement. He worked on enhancing the course’s layout, especially from the 10th to the 17th holes, which remain his most memorable contributions.
Montrose 1562 is the world’s 5th oldest golf course and an integral part of Scotland’s golfing history.
The course is famous for its challenging layout, undulating fairways, springy turf, deep bunkers, bountiful gorse, sand dunes and coastal winds.
Although Montrose’s first official golf club wasn’t formed until 1810, records show golf has been played at the site since 1562, and was granted royal patronage by Prince Albert in 1845.
It continues to offer stunning views of the rugged Angus coastline and a challenging test for golfers. With 460 years of history, it’s one of the most memorable golf experiences you can have in Scotland and a mainstay of Golf Monthly’s top 100 courses.
A blue tee ensures the course is more accessible for higher handicap golfers.
Angus has also made its mark on American golf. In the 1800s, around 200 young golfers from Carnoustie emigrated to the US, going on to become renowned players and some of the first officials of its PGA.
Three of these young golfers, brothers Willie, Alex, and Macdonald Smith, were undoubtedly some of Carnoustie’s greatest playing exports. They left the Angus coast in the late 1800s for the US, and after learning to play golf on the world-famous Carnoustie Golf Links and became key figures in early American golf.
Willie Smith won the 1899 US Open, with his record 11-shot margin left unchallenged for over 100 years, only surpassed by Tiger Woods in 2000.
Alexander ‘Alex’ Smith won the US Open in both 1906 and 1910. His 72-hole score of 295 in 1906 was the lowest at either the US Open or the British Open at the time. In 1910, Smith won a three-man playoff against American John McDermott and his own brother, Macdonald Smith.
Lauded as one of the best golfers of all time to never win a major championship, Macdonald ‘Mac’ Smith placed in the top ten of a major championship 17 times. He was, however, a winner of 25 official events on the PGA Tour – a group that many members of the Carnoustie Golf Club were instrumental in the formation of, for both their Australian and American divisions.
Inspiring stories are everywhere in Angus. Visit our corner of Scotland and create your own golfing stories as you play on some of the most rewarding courses in the world.
