Who's who: Mungo Park

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

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

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

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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