Prestwick
Prestwick
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Course Type
Semi-private -
GOLF Top 100 World Rank (2023-24)
63 -
Year
1851 -
Architects
Old Tom Morris -
Par
71 -
Yardage
6,908
Course Overview
This host to 24 Open Championships (including the first 12) delights with both quirk and muscle. The lumpiest/bumpiest ground is near the clubhouse and yields such marvels as the 1st with the stonewall and railroad line hard down the right of the fairway, the Narrows 15th and the famous Alps 17th. Meanwhile, a brawny collection of two-shotters dominates the stretch from 6-10. Add all the asks together and you have a historic course like no other. The more you travel, the more you appreciate Prestwick’s unique charms. The course’s influence on the direction of architecture is undeniable, thanks to the impression it made on architects from C.B. Macdonald to Pete and Alice Dye, who, a few years after their 1963 visit, included railroad planks at Harbour Town. Because no living architect would build (or be allowed to build!) a course remotely like it, Prestwick remains a cherished playing experience. (Photo: Patrick Koenig)
3 things to know
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Hole everyone talks about
No. 17, par-4, 394 yards: The original Alps hole is the only hole on the course completely unchanged in the years since the first Open. That also makes 17 the oldest hole in championship golf. The distinctive blind second shot over the Alps mound gives the hole it’s characteristic name in a template you have to play to understand why it has been duplicated so many times. -
Best non-golf amenity
Tour the clubhouse. This was the home of the Open Championship for the first 12 editions, and it held 12 more Opens until the 1920s. The space is loaded with cool memorabilia and artifacts. -
Insider tip
The Prestwick experience allows you to tack on a three-course lunch at the club’s long table in the dining room. Just don’t forget your coat and tie.