Royal Troon Golf Club
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About Royal Troon Golf Club
Founded in 1878 by a few enthusiasts, Troon Golf Club soon outgrew its purely local reputation. The Old Course today represents a stern golfing examination and in particular the inward half of Royal Troon is widely accepted as the most demanding of any Course on the Championship rota.
For the first sixty years of The Open's history, the Championship's visits to southwest Scotland were confined to Prestwick, Troon's next-door neighbour. In 1923, all that changed; The Open came to Troon for the first time, and since then it has become a regular venue having hosted the Championship on nine occasions.
The course, which took its current form in 1888, is designed in the traditional out-and-back manner of the Old Course at St Andrews. A gentle opening few holes and relatively straightforward closing stretch are the bookends for a series of holes which weave up, round and through some of the most striking links land to be found at any of the host venues. This character makes the strength and direction of the wind even more important than is usual on a links course: if the wind is against the players on the back nine, it's as tough a finish as can be found anywhere.
Given the nature of the course, Troon has tended to favour champions who stay patient and concentrate on playing their own game rather than trying to overpower the course. Palmer in 1962 and Weiskopf in 1973 both won at the venue by tempering their natural aggressiveness; Greg Norman lost a play-off to Mark Calcavecchia in 1989 after his power ran him into trouble on the 18th; and Todd Hamilton in 2004 was a model of the calm, measured golfer.
Courses
The Old Course
| Par: | Designed By: | Opened: |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | George Strath, Willie Fernie & Charlie Hunter | 1878 |
| Tees: | |
|---|---|
| Reds: | 6108 Yards |
| Yellows: | 6170 Yards |
| Whites: | 6632 Yards |
| Blacks: | 7208 Yards |
Portland Course
| Par: | Designed By: | Opened: |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | William Fernie & Dr Alister MacKenzie | 1895 |
| Tees: | |
|---|---|
| Reds: | 5811 Yards |
| Yellows: | 6162 Yards |
| Whites: | 6349 Yards |
| Blacks: | N/A Yards |
