Where was the Pandemonium Bunker located on the Old Musselburgh Links?

[MCirba]

I've seen paintings and drawings of it, but just looked back through a photo tour from a few years back by Malcolm McKinnon and saw neither hide nor hair of it.

Does anyone know the history? 

Thanks in advance!

[Tom_Doak]

It was a cross bunker, short of the 5th or 6th green, I think.  I can never remember the numbers right at Musselburgh because today's starting hole [a par-3] was the historical finishing hole.

[MCirba]

Tom,

Thanks for the info.

In digging a bit more as well as an assist from Colin Macqueen I learned that "Pandy" was indeed on today's 6th hole at Old Musselburgh.

In fact, it appears that the remnants of the grand old hazard are still visible as seen in this Google Earth aerial photo.   I'm not sure when it was grassed over as aerials I've seen back to 1945 show it to be turfed.

Restoration? 

[MCirba]

Going back to Malcolm Mckinnon's thread, here it is from ground level;

[Jim Sherma]

Based on this map I don't thing you have the location right. It looks like Pandy was on the outside of the track. Don't know enough about Musselburgh's history to make full sense of this all.

Musselburgh GC Extension 23 03 1895 Edin  Evening News...[/size]

[Tom_Doak]

Based on this map I don't thing you have the location right. It looks like Pandy was on the outside of the track. Don't know enough about Musselburgh's history to make full sense of this all.

Jim:


I'm not sure what that map is about ... I don't think Musselburgh was ever expanded beyond the nine holes.  But it looks like the racecourse was extended, as Pandy on the map is about the right distance to the west of the fifth tee and sixth green ... I don't think either of those has moved.

[Jim Sherma]

Tom - I have no idea either. Found it in the routing plans thread and thought it was worth bringing back up. The race track being extended as the coastline receded makes sense. I had never heard of it ever being expanded either. Could this have been mooted prior to the Honorable Company's departure to Muirfield?

[MCirba]

Jim/Tom,

Thanks for the additional information.   It appears to me that the racetrack was extended but from that drawing it also looks as though "Pandy" was a bit bigger than what it morphed into.   

Courtesy of Melvyn Morrow, here's the scoop of the proposed 9-hole addition to Musselburgh in 1895 that was never built.   Since this was five years after the decision of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers to move to Muirfield, it wasn't seemingly related to that move.

What instead makes more sense is that the 1896 Open was awarded to Muirfield, which was quite a jolt to the folks in Musselburgh, including the 2 or 3 remaining clubs who played there.   I would think this effort was trying to make the old Musselburgh course relevant for continued tournament play as the world was moving to a standard of 18 holes.






 

[Niall C]

The discussion on the possible extension of Musselburgh went on for a couple of years and included an idea to reclaim land on the seaward side, similar to what was done for the first at St Andrews. I recall reading about it in old newspaper articles but can't recall exactly why it wasn't taken forward. Probably to do with the cost.


This is the first time I've seen this idea. I can't imagine it would have lasted long if they had gone through with it.


Niall

[MCirba]

More terrific articles from Melvyn Morrow related to the proposed course extension(s), the size of Pandy, and general political maneuvering at the time. 

Edinburgh Evening News April 21 1893







Edinburgh Evening News Dec 1 1894




Edinburgh Evening News Feb 1 1896




Edinburgh Evening News April 15 1896