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The Champions
Following in the Footsteps of Champions
Ayrshire & Arran is steeped in golfing history and legend. Home to the first Open Championship, Prestwick has a special place in the heart of every golfer. With two current Open Championship venues at Royal Troon & Turnberry, every great sports man and woman to play the game has walked this coast line.The link to past greats is fortified by the architects who designed Ayrshire’s courses. Names like James Braid, Willie Park, Old & Young Tom Morris, are synonymous with Ayrshire golf. These men shaped the game across Scotland, but their influence is especially strong here in the Southwest.
Turnberry Host to the 2009 Open Championship
Architect MacKenzie Ross
Date opened 1901
Venue for the 2009 Open Championship, Turnberry has hosted 3 Open Championships - 1977, 1986, 1994. It was the famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in 1977 that confirmed Turnberry as a great Open Championship venue. It was the first time the Open had been played there. Huge galleries witnessed one of the greatest finishes in Open history when Watson finished with two rounds of 65 to beat Nicklaus by one stroke!This is Scottish links golf at its finest. After an almost innocent first few holes, you soon find the sea down the left for the eight most spectacular holes with the famous lighthouse. But the finish is no less gripping. The Ailsa course is challenging, untamed Scottish golf at its best. A course to savour from end to end without worrying too much about your card.
www.westin.com/turnberry
Royal Troon Host to the 2004 Open Championship
Architect Charles Hunter/ Willie Fernie/ James Braid
Date opened 1878
ome to 8 Open Championships - 1923, 1950, 1962, 1973, 1982, 1989, 1997, 2004 Royal Troon lies at the southern end of that beautiful stretch of Ayrshire coastline where golf has been played for century. Over the years, the course has evolved into one of the toughest on the Open rota. It boasts not only the longest hole in Open Championship golf but the shortest too. The famous 8th hole known as the ‘Postage Stamp’.Many illustrious names have been added to the Open Championship trophy after victory at Troon; Arthur Havers was the first in 1923 with Bobby Loche, Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson, Mark Calcavecchia, Justin Leonard and Todd Hamilton completing the role of honour.
www.royaltroon.com
Prestwick The Birthplace of Open Golf
Architect Old Tom Morris
Date opened 1851
4 Open Championships – 1860 - 1925The Prestwick Golf Club stands as a monument to the early days of the game. It was the birthplace of the Open Championship, and therefore of professional tournament golf. It remains to this day one of the most revered clubs in the world. Much of the original 12-hole course at Prestwick, over which the inaugural Open Championship was played, is still identifiable today more than 120 years after it was extended to 18 holes. Prestwick Golf Club provides a bridge between the past and the present. It is a must-play for those who embrace the game and its history.
www.prestwickgc.co.uk
Western Gailes
Architect Willie Park
Date opened 1897
Western Gailes is less renowned than some of Scotland’s great links courses but there is no doubt that it is one of the finest. The quality of the Western Gailes course has been recognised by the staging of many important championship over its demanding 6700-yard layout.
www.westerngailes.com
Glasgow Gailes
Architect Willie Park
Date opened 1892
Designed by two-time Open Champion, Willie Park considered Glasgow Gailes amongst his finest creations, which is no small claim from a man who was the architect for more than one hundred and seventy golf courses around the world.
www.glasgowgolfclub.co.uk
Kilmarnock Barassie
Architect Theodore Moon
Date opened 1892
A final qualifying venue for the Open Championship and co-host to the British Amateur Championship in 2001, Kilmarnock Barassie has a significant pedigree and provides a real treat for the golf enthusiast.
www.kbgc.co.uk
Irvine Bogside
Architect James Braid
Date opened 1887
Situated between the town of Irvine and the River Irvine, this traditional links has all the variety and difficulty you would associate with a top championship course.
www.theirvinegolfclub.co.uk
Turnberry Kintyre
Architect Donald Steele
Date opened 2001
The Kintyre is links golf at its exhilarating best. Undulating greens, glorious fairways, magnificent ocean holes, and all with stunning views of Kintyre, Arran, and the famous Turnberry Lighthouse.
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