Who's who: Mungo Park

  • Padraig Harrington
  • Laura Davies
  • Annika Sörenstam
  • José María Olazábal
  • Michelle Wie
  • Edoardo Molinari
  • Lee Trevino
  • Natalie Gulbis

Who's who: Mungo Park

  • Name:

    Mungo Park
  • Country:

    Scotland
  • Lived:

    [1835-1904]. Born on Oct 22, 1836 in Quarry Houses, Musselburgh, East Lothian. Died on June 19, 1904 in the Poorhouse, Inveresk, nr Musselbourgh (age 67).
  • Original/Home Club:

    Musselburgh Links (Old course)
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer, seaman, golf club maker, course designer.
  • Turned Pro:

    c.1852

Roll of Honour

MAJORS (1): The Open Championship (1874).

Golf course design

Mungo Park laid out several golf courses during this time, including Alnmouth GC in Northumberland.

Did you know?

Mungo Park was a member of a famous Scottish golfing family. His brother Willie Park Sr was a four-time winner of the Open Championship, and his nephew Willie Park Jr won the Open Championship twice. Mungo lifted the Claret Jug himself in 1874.

Mungo learned golf at an early age with his older brother Willie, and three other brothers. He abandoned the game for a period of 20 years while he was worked as a seafarer. Returning to Musselburgh in the early 1870s he found his golfing skills came back relatively quickly, and he went on to win the 1874 Open Championship at Musselburgh Links, his home course.

In 1869 Mungo married Margaret Plumstead (née Johnstone) in Edinburgh. After his Open Championship win, Mungo spent the rest of his life serving as clubmaker and instructor at various golf clubs in Britain. He laid out several golf courses during this time, including Alnmouth, where he remained as its first professional.

Top tournaments won by Mungo Park

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Park, Mungo

Score

159

Prize money

£8

Title sponsor

R&A

The Open Championship (14th) (April 10). Second-placed Young Tom Morris (Scot) finished 2 shots behind Mungo Park (Scot). Mungo's brother Willie won the Open four times. Played for the first time at Musselburgh. [The Old Course, Musselburgh Links, nr Edinburgh].

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Tournaments

Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.

Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.

Recently visited

Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.

The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.

The Dutch GC, The Netherlands

The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.

Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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