Location: Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland | Ranking: #79
Designer: Old Tom Morris | Type: Historic links
Editor’s Note: Prestwick is inseparable from the history of The Open, which was first played here in 1860. Its blind shots, dunes, burns and unconventional angles make the round feel very different from a modern championship layout.
Travel & Logistics
- Access: Prestwick sits on the Ayrshire coast close to Royal Troon and within practical reach of the wider west-coast golf circuit.
- Booking: prestwickgc.co.uk. Confirm current visitor times, green fees, handicap requirements and course conditions directly with the club.
Course Character
Prestwick rewards golfers who accept its historic design on its own terms. Blind or partially obscured shots, natural contours and unusual hazards are central to the experience rather than imperfections to be engineered away.
Key Strategy Notes
- Cardinal: the famous bunker complex makes position and commitment important on one of the course’s best-known holes.
- Blind shots: use the club’s markers and local guidance rather than judging every target only from what is visible from the ball.
- The Alps: the blind approach over the dune is one of the defining architectural experiences at Prestwick.
The 19th Hole
- Ayrshire base: staying around Prestwick or Troon keeps several major links within a short regional itinerary.
- Second-round options: Royal Troon, Dundonald Links and other Ayrshire courses make it easy to build a multi-day Stay · Play · Recover trip.
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