Heritage Of Golf Museum
Small museum beside the pro shop at Gullane that traces golf from its Dutch roots to the modern game; visits are by appointment.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Heritage of Golf Museum is a small, privately run collection housed next to the professional shop at Gullane, on the East Lothian coast, where golf has been played for centuries. It was founded around 1980 by the local golfer and collector Archie Baird, who built up the displays and for many years showed visitors round himself. Today David and Gillian Kirkwood arrange visits.
The museum explains how golf reached Scotland from Holland between about 1400 and 1500 and developed on the coastal links land of the east coast. Early Dutch paintings and prints show a stick-and-ball game played in streets, fields and on ice, and a painting of 1668 shows two kilted players with clubs.
Other displays follow the evolution of equipment: wooden clubs made by bow-makers and carpenters, early iron clubs from blacksmiths, and the change from the expensive feather-stuffed ball to the gutta-percha ball and then the rubber-core ball. Further sections cover champions, clubmakers and caddies, the change in golfing clothes from ornate to practical, and a mixed collection of medals, buttons, paintings, postcards, pottery and tees. Because the museum is small, visitors normally see it on a short guided visit that must be booked in advance.
Highlights
- Clubs from early bow-maker woods to modern equipment
- Feather, gutta-percha and rubber-core golf balls
- Early Dutch paintings and prints of the game
- Costume, medals, postcards and other golf memorabilia
- Located beside the pro shop at Gullane
Permanent exhibition
- The Heritage of Golf – Clubs, balls, costume, art and memorabilia tracing golf from its Dutch origins to the modern game.
- Founded
- 1980
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The museum is next to the professional shop at Gullane Golf Club. Visits are arranged by appointment with David and Gillian Kirkwood. |
