In its dominant days Musselburgh Links had a regular, undisputed slot in the Open Championship circuit.

The routine returns to Musselburgh Links for the Open were only disturbed when the Honourable Company decided to move their play away from Musselburgh Links to take up a new home at Muirfield.

When the club moved out, there was confusion about who was to continue to run the Open, and on which course it was to be played.   When the decision to move came in 1892, to the distress of the Musselburgh players, the Honourable Company assumed that the Open would move from Musselburgh Link to Muirfield with them.

Not unreasonably, the Musselburgh golfers organised another rival 'Open' competition prior to the Muirfield event, one with greater prize money. The new course at Muirfield had not won universal approval and the devotees of the seaside game dubbed the new Muirfield course as an 'auld water meadow' so clearly did its green, springy turf contrast with the hard links familiar to the regular tournament players.

During their stay at Musselburgh Links, the Honourable Company sponsored and ran six Open Championships. Apart from Ferguson and Fernie, the winners were Mungo Park, from the famous golfing family of that name; Jamie Anderson of St. Andrews; D. Brown of Musselburgh; and W. Park, Junior; the last named having the best aggregate with 155 for 36 holes. Willie Park also held the record for the course of 32.