Prestwick Golf Club

The Links Where The Open Began

The golf course at Prestwick Golf Club began in 1851 as a 12-hole layout created by Old Tom Morris. The first Open Championship followed in 1860. Prestwick staged the championship 24 times, while the course grew to 18 holes in 1882, retaining six greens and three holes from the original routing.

Its compact links ground carries golfers through rugged dunes and rippled fairways. The railway runs beside the opening hole, while blind shots form part of the experience throughout the round. The Cardinal bunker controls choices at the 3rd and 16th, and the small, firm greens reward approaches played from the correct angle.

The 17th, Alps, preserves the original second hole from 1851 and is regarded by the club as the oldest existing hole in championship golf. Its narrow fairway leads to a blind approach over the dune, with the deep Sahara bunker waiting below.