Scotland for Golf – Ayrshire area Royal Troon Golf Club Founded in 1878, the club now has 3 courses and hosted the Open Championship on 8 occasions since 1923. The 2 x 18 hole courses are only open to visitors on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Old Course One of the great links courses in Scotland, the Old Course is a challenging test of golfing ability. With the wind to contend with, and deep rough interspersed with gorse and broom, accurate shot making is essential. Players should make their scores on the outward nine, as the prevailing north-westerly wind can make the back nine extremely difficult. Portland Course Although a links course, the Portland is a little more sheltered than the Old Course and, of course, shorter. The holes meander through terrain filled with gorse and broom and has a generous helping of Par 3's, five in all. This is tempered with four Par 5's, all of which are on the back nine. Prestwick Golf Club Venue of the first Open Championship in 1860, hickory shafts and a gutty golf ball. Six of the Prestwick Golf Club hosted its 24th and final original greens are still played on today. Open Championship in 1925. The club also hosed 11 Amateur Championships between 1888 and 2001. A stone cairn to the west of the Clubhouse, marks the first tee of the original 12 hole course, on which the first Open was played. The 1st hole measured 578 yards to what is now the 16th green, where in 1870 Tom Morris Jr. holed out in three strokes using Visitors are accepted on all weekdays both in the morning and afternoon. On Sundays during the Summer there are times both in the morning and afternoon. Prestwick Golf Club is a relaxed and friendly club that enjoys hosting golfers from all around the world. Visitors are encouraged to use their temporary membership to its full capacity, and enjoy the full lunch in the lavish Dining Room or just a snack in the relaxed Cardinal Room. Scotland for Golf – Ayrshire area Shiskine Golf Club courses featured in Scotland’s top 100 courses, has attained true cult status. Founded in 1896, originally a 9 hole layout designed by Willie Fernie, the 1883 Open Champion. Shortly before the Great War, Willie Park was commissioned to extend the course to 18 holes. Six of the new holes fell into neglect during the war, leaving behind today’s unique 12 hole links. It is truly one of Scotland’s “Hidden Gems”. Located on the west shore of the beautiful Isle of Arran, Shiskine, one of the most unusual Your visit should be combined with a tour and tasting at Scotland’s youngest distillery - the Isle of Arran Distillery in Lochranza – voted the best Whisky Visitor Center in 2014. Turnberry Turnberry Golf Club was established on 24th April 1902, to play on the new course which had been built on the land at Turnberry, Ayrshire and which was formally opened on 6th July 1901. The Ailsa course hosted the Open Championship in 1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009 and was of course the venue of the “Battle in the Sun” between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in 1977. Ailsa Course Named after the third Marquess of Ailsa, who owned the land on which it was built, this par- 70, 7,211-yard championship course is one of golf's storied places. Home to four Open Championships, Ailsa has shaped some of the most remarkable moments in the tournament's history. Its first three holes pose a fairly tough opening, particularly when the wind blows from the direction of its namesake, the brooding isle of Ailsa Craig, 11 miles out to sea. From the 4th to the 11th, the coastal scenery is magnificent and the course is demanding. On its stony ridge on the edge of the sea, the 9th hole is Turnberry's trademark. The landmark lighthouse casts shadows over the 13th century ruins of Bruce's Castle. The narrow path to the tee and the drive across the corner of the bay fills players with trepidation. The 17th, named Lang Whang, is the only par 5 on the course. A short but challenging hole, its subtle contours slightly obstruct each shot- characteristic of the trickery of Turnberry. up just enough to block your view of the landing zone, finding the fairway is even more difficult. Scotland for Golf – Ayrshire area Kintyre Course The par-72 Kintyre, called so after the long, narrow peninsula lying beyond the Isle of Arran in the Irish Sea, is another exhilarating championship course. Noted English architect Donald Steel has revised the old Arran course, originally constructed in 1909, into a 6,921-yard course that incorporates a set of turbulent swells in elevation. As it rises up from the 7th green, the sweeping panorama from the brow of Bain's Hill gives way to brilliant fairways and majestic ocean holes. These range from a delicate pitch in a rocky dell on the 8th to a thrilling second along the shoreline of the 9th. Earlier holes-like Leerie Licht, the short 3rd-may seem benign, but each brings its own trials. On this one, it's the play into the prevailing wind and the green that is just 23 yards deep. The 8th is Kintyre's signature hole, and it involves a drive from an elevated tee towards the sea and an unforgettable blind second shot. Utterly hidden by a narrow ridge, the green is set in a cove that seems to merge with the rugged beach beyond. On the 9th, an invigorating drive offers the choice between adventure and caution, and glimpses of two of Turnberry's charms: Ailsa Craig and the lighthouse. A climb up to the 10th puts players at the highest point of the course, and in the way of any weather in the vicinity. After the myriad tests posed by the back nine, to escape the closing hole and its 11 bunkers without using a sand wedge is an accomplishment in itself. In 2004, the Kintyre hosted the Open Championship Final Qualifying round. Western Gailes Golf Club Formed in 1897, the Club has hosted a number of prestigious tournaments, including the Scottish Amateur Championship, which returned for the eighth time to Western Gailes in 2011, the 1972 Curtis Cup, the 1964 PGA Championship, and in 2007 was host to the European Men's Amateur Team Championship. The course is used for final qualifying when the Open is played at Turnberry or Royal Troon, and also as a final qualifying venue for the Seniors Open. This natural links course offers undulating fairways, occasionally interupted by three meandering burns. Greens that are cleverly located in naturally folded ground, some protected by burns whilst others guarded by sand dunes. The course is highly rated and is 35th in the Top 100 courses of the British Isles. The Clubhouse sits proudly overlooking the links, with views across the bay to the Isle of Arran beyond. The perfect setting to relax after the challenge of our famous course. On Weekdays, the green fee includes lunch in the clubhouse. Scotland for Golf – Ayrshire area Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club is located on the outskirts of Troon on Scotland's West Coast. We have an extensive history and have been offering golfers a magnificent links golf challenge in Ayrshire for nearly one hundred and twenty-five years. Within striking distance of Royal Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry, the course is an Open Championship Final Qualifying venue with a well-deserved reputation for some of the best maintained greens in Scotland. The Club now has twenty seven holes with which to test the golfer, complemented by first-rate facilities in the clubhouse and professional's shop. Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club offers everything golfers would expect from a Scottish seaside golf course; challenging fairways and greens as well as a friendly, welcoming membership. We are sure you'll find what you're looking for on our website and look forward to welcoming you to the challenges of links golf. The Boys' Amateur Championship was held at the club in August 2010. .