Prestwick Golf Club

History

Golf had been played over the links at Prestwick for many years before the Club was formally organized in 1851. Old Tom Morris was the club's "Keeper of the Green, Ball and Club Maker" from 1851 to 1864. He designed and built the original 12-hole course, which measured 3,799 yards, 578 of which were on the first hole. In common with other courses, many of Prestwick's original holes crossed over the same undulating terrain; no more than two dozen golf clubs existed anywhere in the world at that time. Six of the original greens are still used by the present 18-hole course, which also includes three of the original holes: 2nd (Alps), 4th (Cardinal) and 5th (Sea Headrig).

Morris, originally from St Andrews, returned there to take charge of their links in 1865, but also assisted Prestwick when it extended its course to 18 holes in 1882 after the club acquired significantly more land to the north of its original lay-out. With the course's expansion to 18 holes, which had become the game's standard, cross-routing was eliminated.

Originates The Open Championship

Prestwick is famous as the initial originator and sponsor of The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's four major championships. Discussion of The Open's future concept began soon after the 1859 death of Allan Robertson, longtime professional at St Andrews, who had been considered supreme for some 20 years until his death; the concept of the Open was to find the new 'champion golfer'. The first Open was held in October 1860, with three trips in one day over the course's 12 holes to make for 36 holes; the field consisted of eight leading professionals. The winner was presented with a red Morocco Belt with silver clasps purchased by the members at a cost of £25. The club annually staged all the Opens up to 1870, as well as the 1872 Open; cash prizes were also awarded to leading finishers. Young Tom Morris, son of Old Tom, learned his golf from boyhood at Prestwick, and captured four consecutive Opens held there from 1868 to 1872 (there was no Open in 1871). By winning the Belt three straight times, Young Tom was entitled under the conditions of the competition to keep it, so there was no prize to play for in 1871, and hence no Open.

Prestwick remained in the Open's rotation until 1925, hosting the championship 24 times in all, which is second only to the Old Course. In 1925 crowd control became very problematic, as thousands of people overwhelmed the marshals, which were far too few in number to control them, and this situation disrupted the play of the championship, affecting the outcome, since many players' shots hit spectators and were deflected. Bernard Darwin, the era's leading golf writer, reported from the scene that he doubted the Open should be held ever again at Prestwick, and such has proved the case. The course's cramped layout does make hosting of events with large galleries highly problematic, although the course's challenge remains intact to test the modern generation of players. Prestwick has also staged the Amateur Championship on eleven occasions, most recently in 2001.

Natural features

The River Pow, or the Pow Burn, flows through the golf club's property, and the river is a natural obstacle, there are fish and other species of rare nature in the river, so nature watchers are welcome there.

There are several sand dunes in the centre of the course. The tallest of the three is Pow Hill, the next tallest is The Queens Jack, and the third tallest is Cearcevlock Hill. Blind shots from the tee at the short fifth and on the approach to the par-4 17th add considerably to the mystery and charm of the course. The most famous hole is the third, a par 5, dogleg right, of 500 yards, where the fairway simply ends about 300 yards from the tee, as the land descends into a vast, deep bunker, nicknamed the 'Cardinal', about 50 yards across, which is buttressed by railway sleepers. Many championship hopes have died in this bunker. The Pow Burn flanks the hole down its entire right side. The Irish Sea / Firth of Clyde forms the western boundary of the course, flanked by sand dunes. The Royal Troon Golf Club sits immediately to the north of Prestwick's course and nearby Turnberry is down the coast, to the southwest.

Unlike some of Scotland's other leading courses, Prestwick is a private members' club, but visitors may book to play the course on most days of the week.

The Open Championship

The winners of The Open Championship at Prestwick Golf Club.

(a) denotes amateur