Montrose (1562 Course)

Overview: At Montrose Golf Links (1562 Course), the links profile for Montrose Golf Links (1562 Course) is listed at 6585 yards and par 71. Golf on the Montrose Links is recorded more than four centuries ago, while the modern course presents the classic combination of firm, quick-draining turf, dunes, gorse, deep bunkers and fast greens. The open setting brings the North Sea wind directly into the strategy, and the undulating fairways create a course that can be walked comfortably while still demanding precise control. Several holes offer an inviting view from the tee, but the preferred line is often narrower than it first appears.

History: The year 1562 refers to the earliest written record of golf at Montrose, when James Melville described being taught how to use the club for golf. The present 1562 routing also carries the influence of Harry Colt, with later care and alterations responding to the needs of the links. In 2008 Martin Hawtree realigned the second hole in response to coastal erosion. The result is not a course frozen in time, but a living links whose historic identity is maintained while its shoreline and playing conditions continue to change.

Did You Know? The earliest Montrose reference comes from a six-year-old schoolboy’s diary. James Melville’s 1562 note is one of the oldest written records connecting a named place with the game of golf, which is why the course’s title carries such unusual historical weight.