Montrose (1562)

Old Tom Morris fashioned an 18-hole layout in 1863 (making Montrose the 2nd oldest 18-hole course in the world, after the Old course at St Andrews) and this layout was subsequently altered by Willie Park Jr. in 1903 before Harry Colt was engaged to make further modifications in 1913 (having designed the Broomfield course six years earlier). Apart from Martin Hawtree re-aligning the 2nd in 2008, the course as it is today is the one that Colt laid out more than a hundred years ago.

The course is a traditional Scottish links course with delightful crisp turf, dunes, whins (gorse to southerners), deep bunkers and tall wavy grass that changes colour and dances in the wind. The holes are laid out in an unusual T-shaped configuration. The front nine plays mainly along the shoreline and offers excellent views across the North Sea. Holes 10 to 13 turn inland before you head back home, towards the sea.

A golfing trip to Scotland would not be complete without playing this nostalgic links course. It represents a fine golfing challenge; Montrose hosted the Scottish Professional Championship in 1967 and 1970 and Final Qualifying for the Open Championship held at Carnoustie in 1999 and 2007.

In July 2018, the former name of the current 18-hole layout (“Medal”) was dropped and the links was re-branded "The 1562 Course" to mark the return of the Open Championship to Carnoustie. The “1562” refers to the year James Melville, son of a local minister, was recorded as being taught the game at the age of six by the Reverend William Gray, giving Montrose its claim as the 4th oldest golfing ground in the world.

In November 2019, Royal Montrose Golf Club merged with Montrose Mercantile (formed in 1879) to become Royal Montrose Mercantile Golf Club. The Montrose Caledonia Golf Club, founded in 1896, has a separate clubhouse nearby.