▁is ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁oldest ▁playing ▁golf ▁course ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁Ev idence ▁has ▁shown ▁that ▁golf ▁was ▁played ▁on ▁M uss el burgh ▁Link s ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 2 , ▁although ▁Mary , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Sc ots ▁re put edly ▁played ▁there ▁even ▁earlier ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 7 . ▁ ▁An ▁entry ▁in ▁the ▁Edinburgh ▁burg h ▁records ▁for ▁ 1 9 ▁April ▁ 1 5 9 2 ▁includes ▁golf ▁in ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁past imes ▁to ▁be ▁avoided ▁on ▁the ▁S abb ath . ▁The ▁parish ▁register ▁for ▁neighbour ing ▁ ▁South ▁Le ith ▁records ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁four ▁parish ion ers ▁before ▁the ▁k irk ▁session ▁on ▁ 7 ▁December ▁ 1 6 1 0 ▁who ▁" conf essed ▁they ▁had ▁pro phan ed ▁the ▁S abb ath ▁be ▁playing ▁at ▁the ▁g ow ffe ▁in ▁tym e ▁off ▁pre aching ▁and ▁th air fore ▁was ▁ord ained ▁to ▁mak ▁th air ▁public t ▁rep ent ance ▁the ▁ni xt ▁S abb oth ." ▁ ▁G olf ▁course ▁evolution ▁G olf ▁courses ▁have ▁not ▁always ▁consisted ▁of ▁eigh teen ▁holes . ▁The ▁St ▁Andrew s ▁Link s ▁occup y ▁a ▁narrow ▁strip ▁of ▁land ▁along ▁the ▁sea - sh ore ). ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁golf ers ▁at ▁St ▁Andrew s ▁established ▁a ▁tren ch ▁through ▁the ▁und ulating ▁terrain , ▁playing ▁to ▁holes ▁whose ▁locations ▁were ▁dict ated ▁by ▁top ography . ▁The ▁course ▁that ▁emer ged