[1][2] The course is not to be confused with The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club or the Levenhall Links.

Musselburgh Links is a publicly owned course, administered by East Lothian Council.

It was selected because it was used by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers,[5] and the course hosted six Opens in all, the first in 1874 and the last in 1889.

[6] When the Honorable Company built a private club at Muirfield, Musselburgh dropped out of the rotation for the Open.

On 14 July 2010, the course became a temporary heliport, when fog in Edinburgh forced the helicopter used by Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to land in front of the first tee.