The Course

Royal Troon’s Old Course is defined by its asymmetry — the outward nine stretches north along the Firth of Clyde, reaching 577 yards at the 6th (the Turnberry, longest hole on any Open rota) before culminating in the famous 8th, the Postage Stamp. The inward nine returns south into the prevailing wind, shorter in total but significantly more demanding when the wind is up. The contrast between the two halves, and the strategic shift it demands, is one of the most interesting aspects of any links on the Open rota.

The Postage Stamp — the 8th hole, 123 yards — is the shortest par three on the championship circuit and one of the most famous holes in golf. The green is tiny, raised, and surrounded by deep pot bunkers that have swallowed more professional careers than any other single hole in championship golf. Gene Sarazen made a hole-in-one here at the age of 71 during the 1973 Open. In the same championship, a German amateur named Hermann Tissies took fifteen shots on the hole. Both outcomes feel plausible when you stand on the tee.

The course hosted the Open Championship most recently in 2024 and has a long history of producing dramatic results — Tom Watson’s victory in 1982, Justin Leonard’s unlikely 1997 triumph, Henrik Stenson’s extraordinary 2016 performance against Phil Mickelson. Troon rewards the player who understands the wind and manages the outward nine conservatively enough to have energy for the demanding return.