Photo: Peter Steiner · Pexels License
Ayrshire / Glasgow, Scotland
Prestwick Golf Club
The birthplace of The Open Championship — Old Tom Morris's 1851 Ayrshire links that hosted the first 24 Opens and retains a remarkable degree of Victorian character.
Course overview
Prestwick Golf Club is the birthplace of The Open Championship, first played here in October 1860 with eight competing professionals on Old Tom Morris's original 12-hole layout. Young Tom Morris won four consecutive Opens at Prestwick between 1868 and 1872, and the club hosted The Open 24 times in total before crowd control became impossible after 1925. The course expanded to 18 holes in 1882 and retains an extraordinary degree of Victorian character — blind shots, eccentric stances, and the massive railway sleeper-faced Cardinal Bunker on the 3rd hole are features of an era before course architecture became a separate discipline. Prestwick is a private members' club; visitors are welcome on most weekdays with advance booking essential.
The essentials
- Architect
- Old Tom Morris
- Established
- 1851
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 5,984 m
- Handicap
- HCP 0–28
- Location
- Ayrshire, Scotland
Character & atmosphere
An authentic Victorian links in which blind shots are not a design flaw but a deliberate feature — local knowledge and course feel are rewarded as much as technical skill. The relatively modest yardage conceals cumulative difficulty through historic blind holes, the railway sleeper-faced Cardinal Bunker, and persistent wind exposure on the Ayrshire coast.
Highlights
Why play here
- Designed by Old Tom Morris, opened in 1851.
- A challenging round for golfers who enjoy a proper test.
Signature Hole
3
Cardinal
A long par-5 over a blind crest where the Cardinal Bunker — a vast cross-bunker faced with original railway sleepers — must be carried or skirted on the second shot. The sleepers are among the oldest surviving course furniture in championship golf and define Prestwick's Victorian identity more than any other feature. The blind drive adds to the suspense; the approach demands both power and commitment.
Facilities
Practical guidance
Plan your visit
How to get there
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is immediately adjacent to Prestwick Golf Club — the course boundary runs alongside the runway. It is one of the most conveniently located golf courses relative to an airport in the world. Glasgow Airport is also an option with a 40-minute drive south.
Where to stay
Troon is the natural base for the Ayrshire links circuit, with Royal Troon effectively in the town centre and several other top courses within a short drive. The seaside setting is pleasant, and the town has enough dining and a good beach to occupy evenings and rest days.
Nearby courses
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Scotland
Explore Ayrshire / Glasgow
Ayrshire's Open Championship links coast, including Turnberry and Royal Troon.