Scotland's West Coast Golf Links by Plan B Digital

It was October 17,

when the Open first came to Prestwick on Scotland’s links-fringed west coast. In fact, this was the inaugural Open Championship, the first to be held anywhere in the world. The 12-hole course at Prestwick, laid out by Old Tom Morris in the 1850s saw the instigation of this great event and hosted it for the following twelve years. The line up of players gracing the links at Prestwick through these years and on into the 1920s reads like the "Who’s Who" of golf’s early days: Willie Park, the two Tom Morris’s, Willie Auchterlonie, Harry Vardon and James Braid, to name but a few. What had begun as a simple competition between eight of Scotland’s leading players turned into the greatest of golf’s championship events in the world and Ayrshire has remained an integral part of that history. Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links is built on that history, celebrating the past but with more than a nod to the future. Ayrshire offers the visiting golfer perhaps the finest collection of links golf courses in the world and with it comes easy access, quality accommodation, fine dining and a history and heritage to match. From the first tee at Irvine Bogside to the walk from the eighteenth on The Ailsa Course is only a journey of some 30 miles or 50 kilometres but to travel it playing any or all of Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links will ensure that it’s a journey that will last a lot longer in the memory.

This is truly what Scottish golf is about; to play is to understand why Scotland is The Home of Golf

>>THE TWO TOM MORRIS’S

>>ROYAL TROON - Postage Stamp

Open Highlights 8

Travelling the Links The Courses 12

Irvine Bogside 13

Glasgow Gailes 14

Western Gailes 15

Dundonald Links 16

Kilmarnock Barassie 17

Royal Troon 18

Prestwick 19

Prestwick St Nicholas 20

Turnberry Ailsa 21

Turnberry Kintyre 22

Staying & Playing 23

Ayrshire’s 19th Hole

This introduction to Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links is complemented and supplemented by a dynamic website and blog Sign up to receive regular updates of news and offers or just visit the site to check out the detailed Google maps, golf course information, route planners, image galleries, golfing history or check availability and book your rooms alongside your golf. Or take a fly through experience of the ten courses on our very own You Tube Channel Whatever you want to learn about Ayrshire and Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links, you’ll find it quickly and easily at www.ScotlandsWestCoastGolfLinks.com

Credits Malcolm Campbell – Open Championship copy Photography: Ken Ferguson David Whyte Donald Ford Brochure Production: GetTheEdgeOnline.com

OPEN HIGHLIGHTS

The Birth of the Open The Open - The very first. Shortly before noon on the morning of Wednesday, October 17th 1860, a small group of eight roughly dressed individuals made their way towards the wind-strewn sand hills of Prestwick.

>>PRESTWICK - Birthplace of The Open

Under their arm each carries a strange assortment of wooden implements. They march, like prisoners under guard, accompanied by four members of the gentry, whose role it is to ensure that none among them shall transgress. They are about to make history by playing the first ever round of the Open Championship. It was in the Red Lion Inn, that the Open Championship was conceived. Used in 1860 as the clubhouse for the Prestwick links, it was from here that the historic eight would have made that famous march before each striking a ball in turn and thus beginning a championship which has now become one of the leading events in the modern sporting calendar. The inaugural Open Championship was contested among only eight entrants, all of whom were professionals of sorts, either caddies or club or ball makers. The Prestwick Club recognised the gatherings importance to professional golf and proposed that the tournament be held over 36 holes of medal play. It would be open to professional golfers from all clubs. Ironically the idea was greeted with little enthusiasm by all the clubs concerned and, in the end, Prestwick decided to go it alone.

What had begun as a simple competition between eight of Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading players turned into the greatest of golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s championship events in the world and Ayrshire has remained an integral part of that history.

The first players teed off at 12 noon and the entire field had completed the 36 holes before dark. This is in marked contrast to the modern Championship, which now takes four days to complete. Willie Park won the first Open with a score of 174, and a two stroke lead over Tom Morris, who had moved to Prestwick from St Andrews to be Keeper of the Green in 1851. And the rest truly is, as they say, history.

>>HARRY VARDEN

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OPEN HIGHLIGHTS

Prestwick’s Swan Song The 1925 Open at Prestwick was one of the saddest Championships in history. It was here that this great Championship had been inaugurated in 1860, but on one fateful day in 1925 the long association between the Open and historic Ayrshire links came to an end forever. If there was sadness over that there was nothing short of despair for an exiled Scot by the name of MacDonald Smith who should have won that last Open at Prestwick, but didn’t. Smith had long since departed his native Carnoustie to seek fame and fortune in the United States and so too had Jim Barnes, originally from Cornwall, the winner by a mile of the 1921 US Open. For both men it would be a memorable Championship but for total different reasons. “In their combined determination to see the play at all costs or, in the case of those who did not pay to come in, (at no cost) and to cheer

In the opening round MacDonald Smith was almost left stranded by a 76 against Barnes’ opening round of 70, but on the second day the tables were completely reversed; Barnes had 77 and Smith a marvellous 69. Smith led by two going into the first round of the final day and when Barnes slumped to a 79 against his 76, Smith was five shots clear and seemingly home and dry going into the afternoon final round.

their hero home, they lost him

Barnes was out early and returned a creditable 74 but it was clear to everyone that it would not be good enough. Smith needed only a 78 to win, or a 79 to tie.Then fate and enthusiasm of the Scottish of the Scottish crowds took a hand. It was the classic confrontation, the exiled Scot and expatriate Englishman back home to fight out the final round of the Open Championship. The crowds were massive and in the words of Hendry Longhurst, “In their combined determination to see the play at all costs or, in the case of those who did not pay to come in, (at no cost) and to cheer their hero home, they lost him the ambition of a lifetime.”

the ambition of a lifetime.”

Hordes trampled over poor MacDonald Smith, desperate to see every shot. He was never given enough room to play and never saw the outcome of any long shot he played during the round. He left the course a sad and embittered man with a score of 82 in a championship that he had all but won before he was trampled to defeat by a well-meaning, but over-enthusiastic crowd. The lack of adequate stewarding compounded by the tightness of the Prestwick course to accommodate such huge crowds, was a major concern to the organisers and never again would the Club be host to the Open Championship.

scotlandswestcoastgolflinks.com

>>JIM BARNES - 1925 Open Champion

OPEN HIGHLIGHTS

Palmer Charges at Troon The revival of the Open Championship in Britain can be laid at the feet of one player, Arnold Palmer. It was Palmer who led a long trail of top American players back into the world’s oldest championship, bringing with them a new breath of life to an ailing patient. Palmer only just failed to win on his first visit to St Andrews in 1960, putted into second place by the unflappable Australian, Kel Nagle. At Birkdale the following year he triumphed but Arnold Palmer’s greatest victory in the open Championship came in 1962 at a hard and fast Royal Troon on the Ayrshire coast. >>ROYAL TROON - Postage Stamp

The dry conditions which produced the occasional bizarre bounce on the fairways were hardly conductive to Palmer’s all-out aggressive approach to the game of golf. Careful planning and subtle execution were not in the Palmer lexicon. Hit it hard, find it and hit it hard again was more the Palmer way. If there was a challenge to be taken on, no matter how apparently futile or foolhardy, the great man would take it on. Most times he succeeded and that made him the most exciting player in the game.

Arnie’s total mastery of the long and difficult 11th hole alongside the railway line will always be remembered from that Open. Nicklaus once got into a double figures there, but

He opened at Troon with a fairly conservative round of 71, one behind Peter Thomson, but got into gear the following day with 69 that was only equalled by Peter Alliss. He then spread-eagled the field with 67.

>>ARNOLD PALMER - 1962 Open

in six rounds, including two qualifying rounds, Arnold

Palmer was six under par. Arnie simply gave everyone a lesson in how to play a fast running course that none of the other leading contenders could cope with. Gary Player couldn’t handle it at all and missed the cut. Jack Nicklaus finished 29 strokes behind at the finish and the only danger to Arnie on the final day was himself. He needed something to shoot for and was encouraged by his wife to make sure he made it two Open victories in a row, because not many had done that before. The incentive worked well enough and Palmer outclassed the field with a 69 in the last round for an aggregate of 276. His winning margin over Kel Nagel of six strokes was a fitting revenge for his defeat by the Australian two year previously, and it is marked on how much he outclassed the field that Phil Rodgers and Brian Huggett, tied for third place, were 13 strokes behind the winner. Arnie’s total mastery of the long and difficult 11th hole alongside the railway line will always be remembered from that Open. Nicklaus once got into double figures there, but in six rounds, including two qualifying rounds, Arnold Palmer was six under par.

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OPEN HIGHLIGHTS

The Duel in the Sun Tom Watson’s greatest single triumph produced one of the most sensational finishes in the long history of the Open Championship. It was the 106th and the first time the Open had been played on this great Ayrshire links. In a week of high sunshine there was even higher drama with Watson and Jack Nicklaus fought out an epic struggle that left them so far ahead of the rest of the field that it became a simple head -to- head battle, forever to be remembered as “The Duel in the Sun”. For 70 holes Watson had never had his nose in front against the dour, ice-cold determination of Nicklaus, but The Bear could not shake him off. They had identical rounds of 68-70-65 heading out on the last round together, jointly in the lead by three strokes over the rest of the field who might as well been playing on the Ailsa Craig for all the chance they had of catching up. For four days the galleries It took a 60-ft birdie putt from off green at the devilishly difficult par-3 witnessed the most incredible 15th hole for Watson to get back on level terms with Nicklaus after head-to-head shot making and he had gone behind. The ball positively rattled against the pin as it went in and the two looked at each other. Dan said: “This is what it’s all about, low scoring the game of golf has ever seen.

isn’t it?”

>>WATSON & NICKLAUS

Jack smiled back and said “You bet it is.” They halved the 16th, then with a raking 3-iron to the par-5 17th, Watson set up a birdie that Nicklaus couldn’t match. For the first time Watson was in front and they were going to the last hole. Watson fired a 1-iron to the perfect spot in the fairway. Nicklaus, who under other circumstances would surely have followed suit, had to gamble and he went with a driver. The tee shot was blocked slightly and finished under some whin bushes on the right. Watson then delivered the coup de grace, an arrow-straight 7-iron which nailed into the green and finished two feet from the hole. It did not matter that Nicklaus produced a miracle shot to scramble the ball on the green and then, as only Nicklaus could, hole a snaking 40-footer for a birdie. Watson’s two-footer was a formality and the greatest finale in the history of the Open was over, a victory for the new generation over the old. It was a new era and the record books had to be comprehensively rewritten. Watson’s 65-65 finish for 268 was a new record by an electrifying eight strokes.

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>>TURNBERRY’S AILSA COURSE

Irvine & Gailes >>>>>>>>>> The stretch of Ayrshire coast from Irvine in the north to Turnberry in the south must be one of the most plentiful, in golfing terms, anywhere in the world. On a stretch of coastal land not more than 30 miles in length you will find ten of the finest links golf courses you could wish for – a forty five minute drive but to do those would do an injustice to the quality of golf you would be bypassing. Take your time and savour a golfing journey fit for any connoisseur. >>Irvine Bogside

>>Glasgow Gailes

>>Western Gailes

Irvine Bogside Golf Club represents the beginning of the West Coast Golf Links and it certainly deserves to be amongst them and is a delight in every way but most especially on the greens. Built between the town, an old racecourse and the banks of the River Irvine, Bogside’s situation may lack the perspective of some of the courses to follow but on arriving on the narrow road to the clubhouse you cannot be anything but captivated by the golfing terrain that lies ahead of you. Always immaculately manicured, the fairways and greens roll over heavy contours and high dunes dissected by copious amounts of traditional gorse and even more heather and it is likened by some to Prestwick for its quirky individuality and blind approach shots. A couple of miles to the south side of Irvine are the two Gailes courses of Western and Glasgow both of whom have been well known to the golfing visitor for many years. These two traditional links have been joined, and complemented, by the new Dundonald Links which slots perfectly into the parcel of land previously left vacant between Western, Glasgow and Barassie. Glasgow Gailes course designer, former Open Championship winner, Willie Park always believed this links to be one of his best creations. The classic layout is tough, fair and traditionally Scottish, wild heather and gorse define the fairways and the greens are guarded by strategically placed bunkers. Sandy Lyle, former Open and Masters Champion describes the course as ‘one of the world’s truly great tests of links golf’ and it has been selected by the R&A as a final qualifying venue for The Open Championship every time it has been at Royal Troon and Turnberry. At 6903 yards long from the back tees, Gailes is a great test of golf whilst the kinder forward tees provide a fine test for players of all abilities. Just across the railway track and closer to the sea, the reputation of Western Gailes has become stronger and stronger over recent years attracting visitors from all parts of the world and featuring as a must play on many Scottish itineraries. This is nothing new; in June 1903 the great Harry Vardon arrived at Western celebrating his fourth Open victory to win the first professional championship held and promoted by the Club whilst in 1923 its attractions were being lauded by the then US Open Champion Gene Sarazen who played the course. Western Gailes’ setting is imposing being situated between the railway and the sea, both being very much in play as major features. The course is never less than an excellent test of true links golf with the almost central clubhouse situated between the seven holes to the north and eleven to the south. Sitting across the railway line is Dundonald Links which since its opening has fast become one of the most impressive new links courses in Scotland. Designed by Kyle Phillips, the structure and shape of the course easily matches his better known design at Kingsbarns and the layout offers a great challenge from whichever set of tees it’s played off.

>>Dundonald Links

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T R AV E L L I N G T H E L I N K S

>>>>>>

Troon >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club nestles up to the south side of Dundonald Links and is flanked on the west by Western Gailes. From above it is one glorious piece of golfing estate. Barassie is on the north side of Troon and has been extended in recent years in order to maintain its role as an Open qualifying venue. The new nine hole section has been added to form the longer Barassie Links, a Par 72, which from the back tees measures in at 7104 yards. There are now 27 holes to play over, with the ideal scenario being 18 in the morning and a more gentle nine holes in the afternoon. The course has hosted a number of important events in its time, remains an Open Qualifying Course but importantly remains wonderfully playable for the visitor to Ayrshire. Moving along the beach road through the centre of Troon you will be struck by the views out onto the Firth of Clyde towards Arran and may even witness one of the fast ferries entering the town’s harbour from Northern Ireland. Troon is steeped in the history and business of golf with continuous links courses – all six of them - infilled by the odd street here and there. One would almost presume that Troon had held its Royal status for an age but the club remains the youngest of the Royals with the title only bestowed in the club’s centenary year, 1978. Similarly Royal Troon is a “relative” newcomer to the Open Championship rota with the first Open played here in 1923, two years before Prestwick’s last. Open winners at Troon include Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Tom Weiskopf and Bobby Locke and it truly is a pilgrimage worth making. It is the 8th or Postage Stamp which is Royal Troon’s most famous hole. From the tee, looking out to sea, it somehow seems a long way to that little green. For visitors it plays at around 120 yards, the shortest hole on the Open circuit which atypically of West Coast Links Golf can call for a pitching wedge or three iron into a prevailing south westerly! A birdie opportunity if fortunate enough to hit and hold the small target or a calamitous ruination of a card for those venturing into any one of the five greenside bunkers. Arnold Palmer scored a seven here in 1973!

The furthest point out of Royal Troon sits alongside the furthest most point of Prestwick, a fact that has resulted in an annual challenge match of nine holes over Troon and another nine over Prestwick with members starting at one clubhouse and finishing at the other!

>>Kilmarnock Barassie

>>Royal Troon

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T R AV E L L I N G T H E L I N K S

>>>>>>>>> When Old Tom Morris won three of his four Open Championships, not only was he employed by Prestwick Golf Club, he was also a member (and a founding one at that) of Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club. The history of The Open Championship runs deep in this ancient golfing town. >>Old Tom Morris

Prestwick >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Although it no longer features on the Open rota, Prestwick is still one of the most unique and challenging courses in the country. The memorable experience starts at the first tee where, if you have a caddy, he may gently suggest that Sir does not need that driver from the tee. Prestwick Railway Station is only a mild slice away to the right. The massive, and famous, Cardinal Bunker dominates the third hole with the danger compounded by the nearby burn or in striking the oppressive railway sleepers that rise from the sand. The seventeenth remains pretty much unchanged since the 1850s with a blind second shot up and over a high dune into a wonderfully shaped green guarded by the infamous Sahara Bunker. You cannot come off the links at Prestwick not having had fun. Slightly more hidden away in the town is Prestwick St Nicholas. Located less than a mile along the beach from its more famous neighbour, Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club no longer hosts Final Qualifying but remains a true delight with some superb views across the Firth of Clyde. The course has some wonderfully quirky challenges with rolling undulating fairways and many gorse bushes that like the other courses lend some splendid colour to early season rounds. The course is not the longest but is a delight to play offering a serious challenge and the need to remain straight with some wonderfully timeless approaches to traditional links greens. These two courses hugging the west coast ensure that Prestwick remains one of Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest and most historic golfing towns and that it has every right to use the boast of being the Birthplace of The Open Championship. 2010 sees the 150th anniversary of the great event first being played in the town an occasion that surely, in itself, is a call for the golfer to visit.

>>Prestwick

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T R AV E L L I N G T H E L I N K S

>>>>>>

Turnberry Turnberry is the most recent of Ayrshire’s three Open Championship links to join the rota, with the event being first played over The Ailsa Course in 1977 with what became one of the most famous of Open Championships. The world class resort has undergone a complete transformation with a full refurbishment in time for the 2009 Open Championship and is now truly one of the finest golfing destinations in the world boasting not one but two Championship standard courses. The venue impacts on the senses from the moment of arrival, the hotel on the hill, the wonderful clubhouse facilities, golf academy and the general ambience ensure that your experience will be memorable, even if the scorecard is less so. The Open Championship course, The Ailsa, has been supported for the past decade by the excellent Kintyre Course. The Kintyre included some of the best holes and features of the old Arran layout and is regarded by many visitors as a tougher course to play and, certainly, if not straight the gorse can catch stray drives with impunity. It is itself an Open Championship Qualifying Course and provides a wonderfully appealing addition to its neighbour. The Ailsa course, host of its fourth Open Championship event in 2009, is deserving of every accolade given to it, set out on land between the sweeping dunes and the gently rising Ayrshire hills. It is also regarded by many as the most picture perfect and instantly recognisable of the Open venues. Not only does it have the magnificent hotel to look up to, it has its own iconic lighthouse and Ailsa Craig, providing the backdrop. The 9th hole, Bruce’s Castle, with the famous Turnberry Lighthouse to its left, is probably one of the most photographed golf holes in the game with the tee perilously positioned out into the Firth of Clyde. Even for the most seasoned of golfing travellers it is hard to imagine a finer final green anywhere in the world to hole out at. Replace the flag, look around and just let it wash over you.

scotlandswestcoastgolflinks.com

Whether you play one or all, you can be sure you will cherish the experience that is Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links. From the first tee at Irvine Bogside to the walk from the eighteenth on The Ailsa Course is only a journey of some 30 miles or 50 kilometres but to travel it playing any or all of Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links will ensure that it’s a journey that will last a lot longer in the memory. This is truly what Scottish golf is about; to play is to understand why Scotland is The Home of Golf. We are sure you will cherish the experience that is Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links.

Irvine Golf Club Bogside

Sandy Road, Bogside, Irvine KA12 88N +44 (0)1294 275979 secretary@theirvinegolfclub.co.uk www.theirvinegolfclub.co.uk Irvine Golf Club, Bogside is a traditional links course owing much of its character to the famous James Braid, who designed many of Scotland's top courses. The course can best be described as a mix of links and heathland. The fairways are built on sand and are divided by gorse and heather and every hole has its own identity whilst the quality of greens is traditionally amongst the

The conception and birth of Irvine Golf Club must be credited to a young man called Robert Adam who in 1884 looked around for a suitable site on which a new golf course could be laid out and saw the potential in the land at Bogside which then formed part of the estate of the 14th Earl Of Eglinton. Adamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inspiration was the key factor in the creation of Irvine Golf Club but it was the experience, authority and leadership of a fellow golfer James Stewart which would turn this dream into reality.

Par Standard Scratch

4 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 4

7 5 9 11 15 1 13 17 3

373 465 368 429 382 337 156 391 333

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

408 452 323 289 257 401 312 165 440 3189 3047

HOLE

418 476 358 289 279 411 322 180 456

PAR STROKE INDEX

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

HOLE

On Friday 18th March 1887 thirteen men gathered at a meeting in the Kings Arms Hotel, Irvine, convened and chaired by Adam and from this gathering Irvine Golf Club was established.

363 455 350 429 359 327 156 381 322 3234 3143 6423 6190

4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4

7 2 14 4 12 8 18 6 16

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

71 72

70 70

72 72

courses strengths. The course is not long by present day standards, 6423 yards, but demands accurate shot making and missed fairways and greens can be well punished. It is often likened to Prestwick for the number of blind shots required and like the venerable old links is a delight to play.

Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links Gailes, Irvine, Ayrshire KA11 5AE +44 (0)1294 311258 secretary@glasgowgolfclub.com www.glasgowgolfclub.com that’s guarded by strategically placed sand traps. It then lets up with a neat par three, only to bite back with another demanding run of five par fours. Former Open Champion and the winner of the treasured Masters Green Jacket, Sandy Lyle, described the course as ‘one of the world’s truly great tests of links golf’.

Glasgow Golf Club was founded in 1787 and is the ninth oldest golf club in the World, seven years after the Town Council had started to issue permits for playing golf on Glasgow Green. In 1892 the ground at Gailes was leased from the Duke of Portland’s estate and the Gailes Links course was inaugurated followed three years later with the opening of the clubhouse which remains a most impressive building.

Par Standard Scratch USGA Slope Rating

4 4 4 4 5 3 4 4 4

7 13 3 9 1 17 5 11 15

422 419 220 334 560 152 438 403 435

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

332 341 419 425 530 144 395 339 304 3520 3229

HOLE

341 401 467 472 593 152 445 342 307

PAR STROKE INDEX

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

In 1924 Gailes was purchased from the Duke, 12 years after the current course had been laid out by Open Champion golfer, Willie Park Jnr.

HOLE

At 6903 yards long from the championship tees with a par of 71 Gailes is a great test of golf whilst the kinder medium tees provides a fine test for players of all abilities. It is simply traditional links at its best. The challenge starts with a steady stream of four consecutive par fours followed by the signature hole, a par five dog-leg with outof-bounds to the right and a treacherous green

418 414 177 320 506 147 380 322 409 3383 3093 6903 6322

4 4 3 4 5 3 4 4 4

8 4 16 12 2 18 6 14 10

Ch’ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

71 74 134

71 72 131

71 71 129

71 68 122

Western Gailes Golf Club Gailes Gailes, Irvine, Ayrshire KA11 5AE +44 (0)1294 311649 clubmanager@westerngailes.com www.westerngailes.com The setting is imposing, the course situated between the railway and the sea and, both very much in play. It is special amongst seaside courses never being more than two holes wide and in having its clubhouse in a more or less central position. The course is never other than an excellent test of true links golf with challenges of wind compounded by the undulating terrain and

"In starting this Club, the promoters have in view the large number of members of inland courses who would be glad of the facilities afforded by membership of a good seaside course in addition to the course on which they already play, and they therefore propose that the Annual Subscription should be only Ten Shillings and Sixpence, with an entrance fee of a like sum for members who join now."

Par Standard Scratch USGA Slope Rating

4 4 4 4 4 5 3 4 4

13 3 11 9 1 5 15 7 17

349 477 470 154 592 194 428 470 407

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

303 404 312 332 430 470 153 350 296 3473 3050

HOLE

310 434 387 417 500 498 198 393 336

PAR STROKE INDEX

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

HOLE

Founded in 1897, the above was the first promotion of Western Gailes to its prospective membership and the first nine holes were ready for play by the spring of 1898.

305 415 403 131 527 167 358 407 343 3541 3056 7014 6106

4 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 4

14 2 8 18 6 16 10 4 12

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

71 75 140

71 74 137

71 71 132

71 68 126

finely contoured greens cleverly located and set in the surrounding sand dunes. From the clubhouse there are seven holes to the north and eleven to the south. The line of dunes running down the coastal stretch, the out of bounds wall, the plentiful supply of pot bunkers plus the meandering burns, all combine to present variety and a memorable challenge.

Dundonald Links Gailes Ayr Road, Gailes, Ayrshire KA11 5BF +44 (0)1294 314004 reservations@dundonaldlinks.com www.dundonaldlinks.com In its short history, Dundonald Links has quickly become recognised as one of Europe’s “must play” new links courses and was named as a Final Qualifying Course for the 2008 Btitish Seniors Open.

Dundonald means ‘Fort Donald’ and there is a hill near the course upon which fortifications have been located dating back to the period 500 through 200 B.C. Three castles succeeded the original structures and in the early 1900s there was an old golf course named Dundonald on the site of the new course. It was converted to military use during World War II, at which time it was known as Dundonald Camp, and was used to rehearse the D Day landings.

Par Standard Scratch USGA Slope Rating

4 4 5 3 5 3 4 4 4

4 12 6 14 8 18 16 10 2

465 120 350 410 540 215 470 420 560

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

430 375 530 195 535 155 375 385 385 3550 3365

HOLE

460 405 540 215 550 170 405 395 410

PAR STROKE INDEX

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

The old Dundonald Course sits underneath both the new Dundonald Links and the adjoining Barassie Links.

HOLE

Designed by the highly respected golf course architect Kyle Phillips the 7,100-yard, par 72 course was inspired by the timeless architecture of the great Ayrshire links courses of Royal Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes, all connected by the historic rail line.

430 120 335 370 510 205 450 395 545 3550 3360 7100 6725

4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 5

3 17 15 9 13 11 1 7 5

Ch’ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

72 76 138

72 74 138

72 72 135

72 73 131

Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club Barassie 29 Hillhouse Road, Troon, Ayrshire KA10 6SY +44(0)1292 313920 golf@kbgc.co.uk www.kbgc.co.uk Barassie has undergone considerable changes over the past few years and not only has twenty seven holes with which to test the golfer but also has much improved facilities in the clubhouse and professional's shop. The additional nine holes are part of the championship course and have added a different dimension to Barassie with a Par of 72 and a Standard Scratch of 74.

Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club has been offering the golfer a magnificent links golf challenge for over an hundred years. Formed as Ossington Golf Club in 1887, the first course was at Holmes Farm in Kilmarnock, but the Club soon became Kilmarnock Golf Club and to Barassie in the 1890s.

Par Standard Scratch USGA Slope Rating

5 4 4 3 4 3 4 5 4

12 6 2 16 14 18 4 8 10

387 398 523 376 210 429 491 406 378

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

501 376 365 149 336 143 427 519 371 3511 3187

HOLE

509 394 430 169 442 150 462 539 416

PAR STROKE INDEX

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

HOLE

The club has hosted many top class amateur and professional events in its time as well as being host to the Open Qualifying including the British Boys won by a young Ronan Rafferty. In the not too distant past the club has produced, in Gordon Sherry and Jim Milligan, Walker Cup players who were Amateur Champion and Scottish Amateur Champion respectively.

346 4 385 4 387 5 355 4 170 3 413 4 475 4/5 401 4 365 4 3598 3297 7109 6484

11 7 15 1 17 3 9 13 5

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

73 N/A N/A

72/73 74 138

72 72 135

75 76 N/A

The course measures just under 6500 yards for visitors and the new holes provide some wonderful challenges perhaps no more so than the par 3 fourth hole or the quirky dog leg par 5 eighth. The course is challenging, but is typically what Scottish Links golf is about - large undulating greens, deep bunkers and doglegs.

Royal Troon Golf Club Troon Craigend Road, Troon, Ayrshire KA10 6EP +44 (0)1292 311 555 bookings@royaltroon.com www.royaltroon.com Although a links course, the neighbouring 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 however, with four Par 5's, all of which are on the back nine.

Troon Golf Club was formed on the 16th March 1878, at a Meeting of enthusiasts, in the Portland Arms Hotel in Troon. By 1880 the Club had six holes, and eight years later had been extended to eighteen holes measuring 3 miles, 1 furlong and 156 yards! George Strath was the first Professional to the Club and was involved in the design of the courses prior to leaving in 1887. His successor Willie Fernie, by the following year, had implemented further changes to the layout of the 18 hole course.

Par Standard Scratch USGA Slope Rating

4 4 4 5 3 5 4 3 4

16 7 11 4 14 2 9 18 5

438 490 431 472 178 483 542 222 457

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

348 369 366 476 183 518 354 114 375 3462 3103

HOLE

370 391 379 560 210 601 405 123 423

PAR STROKE INDEX

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

In the Centenary Year, 1978, the Club was proud to receive the Royal Accolade and is, to date, the most recent Club to be so honoured.

HOLE

One of the great links courses in Scotland, Royal Troonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 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.

367 357 377 382 167 433 504 167 344 3713 3098 7175 6201

4 4 4 4 3 4 5 3 4

10 1 6 12 15 3 8 13 17

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

71 75 N/A

71 73 134

71 71 130

75 76 N/A

Prestwick Golf Club Prestwick 2 Links Road, Prestwick, Ayrshire KA9 1QJ +44 (0)1292 477404 bookings@prestwickgc.co.uk www.prestwickgc.co.uk Prestwick is an old fashioned links course in the true sense of the word. Designed by Old Tom Morris, the course is built on an undulating sandy stretch that links the beach to the inland. Its 6,544 yards follow the natural contours of the terrain and features some odd twists and turns and even some nasty blind shots. Much of the original 12 hole course at Prestwick is still identifiable today

Prestwick Golf Club was founded in 1851 by a group of 57 members who met at the Red Lion Inn, Prestwick. The Earl of Eglinton was the first Captain of the club, and presented a gold medal for annual competition which is still played for to this day. A stone cairn to the west of the Clubhouse, marks the first tee of the original 12 hole course, from which the first Open was played.

Par Standard Scratch USGA Slope Rating

4 3 5 4 3 4 4 4 4

11 17 3 13 5 15 1 9 7

454 215 552 460 404 347 288 391 284

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

346 167 482 382 206 362 430 431 444 3515 3250

HOLE

346 167 541 417 236 407 488 452 461

PAR STROKE INDEX

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

HOLE

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 hickory shafts and a gutty golf ball. Seven of the original greens are still played on today.

454 195 513 460 362 347 288 391 284 3395 3294 6910 6544

4 3 5 4 4 4 4 4 4

4 16 8 2 14 10 18 6 12

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

71 74 130

71 73 128

74 74 132

more than a century after it was extended to eighteen. The fairways are narrow and greens small by modern standards but always fast and true. From the first tee with the out of bounds on the right, through the third with The Cardinal Bunker and The Alps at seventeen, the golfer will be challenged by Prestwick in a way that perhaps no other links course in the world can.

Prestwick St. Nicholas Golf Club Prestwick Grangemuir Road, Prestwick, Ayrshire KA9 1SN +44 (0)1292 477 608 secretary@prestwickstnicholas.com www.prestwickstnicholas.com provided by nature, strategically placed bunkers and the fact that Out of Bounds is a feature on at least 12 holes, this course is one which can favour the thinking golfer rather than the long, wild hitter. The closing three holes are as challenging as it is possible to find and any score near par can be regarded as a positive.

Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club is the 26th oldest Golf Club in the world having been founded in November 1851 by 28 local men. One of these men was Old Tom Morris who had been brought to Prestwick Golf Club when it was founded earlier in 1851 to be Keeper of the Greens, Club and Ball Maker. It is St Nicholasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proud boast that in the years Tom Morris was employed by Prestwick Golf Club, and won three of his four Open Championships, St Nicholas was the Club of which he was a member.

Par Standard Scratch

4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

7 17 13 3 9 11 1 5 15

165 523 206 456 412 276 379 301 227

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

242 172 281 420 406 326 454 360 338 3099 3099

HOLE

242 172 281 420 406 326 454 360 338

PAR STROKE INDEX

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

Although various alterations have taken place over the decades the course has remained, in essence, unchanged since the course opened on 7th May 1892.

HOLE

The course is a traditional Scottish links possessing as it does a sandy, free draining soil, gorse, deep bunkers and a seemingly ever present wind which tests the skills of players of all abilities. The course lies between the railway line and the Firth of Clyde resulting in golfers being able to admire the truly stunning scenery of the Ayrshire coast. It would be fair to say that thanks to the hazards

165 523 206 456 412 276 379 301 227 2945 2843 6044 5942

3 5 3 4 4 4 4 4 3

12 8 18 2 6 10 4 16 14

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

N/A N/A

69 69

72 72

Ailsa Course Turnberry

Turnberry Resort, Turnberry, Ayrshire KA26 9LT +44 (0)1655 331000 turnberry@luxurycollection.com www.turnberry.co.uk The first three holes on The Ailsa pose a fairly tough opening, particularly when the wind blows from the direction of Ailsa Craig. From the admirable short fourth to the short 11th the Ailsa Course follows the shoreline, the fifth to the eight framed by dunes and the ninth, tenth and eleventh flanked by craggy rocks.

Turnberry has had a chequered history having been dug up twice in the twentieth century to make way for wartime airfields, parts of which can still be seen today. The course was only rebuilt after the Second World War when the owners British Transport Hotels forced the government to pay out compensation. The course was then mapped out by golf course architect Mackenzie Ross, creating one of the finest links courses in the world.

Par Standard Scratch USGA Slope Rating

7 13 15 5 1 11 3 17 9

457 175 447 410 449 206 455 558 461

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

340 4 368 4 386 4 157 3 392 4 187 3 463 5/4 365 4 388 4 3593 3046

HOLE

354 428 489 168 479 231 538 454 452

PAR STROKE INDEX

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

HOLE

The course remained arguably a hidden gem until the famous Open Championship of 1977 and the rest is golfing history.

415 146 377 344 390 170 385 457 370 3618 3054 7211 6100

4 3 4 4 4 3 4 5 4

6 18 8 14 2 16 10 4 12

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

70 76 134

69 73 127

69 71 125

75 75 N/A

The scenic glories of the Ailsa Course are to be savoured - the granite dome of Ailsa Craig, the low form of the tip of Argyll and the peaks of Arran highlighting the changing patterns of light and shade. Closer at hand, the lighthouse, and the ninth's lovely back tee are other symbols of Turnberry. A round on The Ailsa engages all of the senses, all of the time.

Kintyre Course Turnberry

Turnberry Resort, Turnberry, Ayrshire KA26 9LT +44 (0)1655 331000 turnberry@luxurycollection.com www.turnberry.co.uk Widely regarded as the Kintyre's signature hole, the 8th, involves a drive from an elevated tee towards the sea and an unforgettable blind shot to a green set in a cove that seems to merge with the craggy beach beyond. The Kintyre requires accuracy, perhaps more so than its neighbour which it complements so perfectly.

The Kintyre was created out of a desire to make Turnberry more than just a single golf course. The course was created from the old Arran course by designer Donald Steel at the same time as the resort added the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy and a nine hole teaching course renamed The Arran.

Par Standard Scratch

7 13 15 5 1 11 3 17 9

440 430 205 464 530 477 143 454 517

PAR STROKE INDEX

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

517 5 151 3 306 4 376 4 403 4 171 3 365 4 280 4 317 5/4 3261 2886

HOLE

547 178 326 402 452 187 379 309 481

PAR STROKE INDEX

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

STANDARD

CHAMPIONSHIP

These golf facilities, the magnificent clubhouse combine with the refurbishment of the hotel for the 2009 Open, to make Turnberry the premier golf resort in Scotland.

HOLE

The Kintyre is links golf at its exhilarating best with undulating greens, glorious fairways, magnificent sea holes, and stunning views of Arran, and the famous Turnberry Lighthouse. The panorama that stretches in every direction is quite breathtaking but the holes need concentration.

410 368 165 414 496 418 125 418 494 3660 3308 6921 6194

4 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 5

8 12 16 2 10 6 18 4 14

Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ship

Medal

Standard

Ladies

72 74

71 72

71 N/A

73 74

staying &

playing

Like the rest of Scotland, Ayrshire’s accommodation provision has improved beyond recognition over the past decade. The traditional seaside resort hotels have been replaced or augmented by some of the finest individual properties in the country. World class luxury resort hotels sit alongside privately operated restaurants with rooms. Country inns with quirky rooms are complemented by traditional hotels with first class spa and leisure facilities. Townhouses or castles, pubs with beds, guest houses, self catering or farmhouses; they’re all available in Ayrshire. The traditional golfing destinations of Prestwick, Troon and Ayr have a large selection of properties to choose from but don’t overlook the towns of Irvine and Kilmarnock both of whom have some excellent rooms on offer. And all within a short drive of your first tee. The area now also boasts excellent conference facilities, from the smallest to the largest, and when combined with golf and transport infrastructure it becomes a superb incentives or convention venue. Whatever you may be looking for from a golfing break you can be sure of finding what you're looking for in Ayrshire.

scotlandswestcoastgolflinks.com

Ayrshire’s th hole

You could be excused for doing nothing but playing golf, but that would be to miss out on Ayrshire’s diverse range of après golf activities and attractions. A wide range of visitor attractions spans the county and castles and historic trails abound with many famous sites of interest and ruins to be explored. There are also family attractions and outdoor sports facilities in abundance. History and heritage loom large with a list including the splendid Culzean Castle, nearby Dundonald Castle and other country parks and castles at Kelburn and Dean. Robert Burns was born in nearby Alloway and wherever you travel in the county there are references to Scotland’s world-famous national bard. Plan your visit to fit in with the sporting calendar and you could take in a race meeting at Ayr, Scotland’s premier racecourse. If you’re with the family, try the Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Vikingar, Loudoun Castle Theme Park or experience real industrial heritage at the Scottish Maritime Museum. Ayrshire is increasingly renowned for the quality of its dining using fresh local produce and creative cooking skills. In recent years the increased quality and quantity of restaurants, a resurgence in the number of country inns and a move towards greater use of local produce, have all contributed to Ayrshire now being a haven of excellent cuisine. Equally impressive are some of the traditional pubs and designer bars. Whether you’re looking for a gantry full of malt whiskies, some real ale or live entertainment, you’ll usually find something going on around you.

Ayrshire, for sure, has a 19th Hole worth playing!

scotlandswestcoastgolflinks.com

Irvine

Troon Prestwick

Location

& Getting to

Ayrshire

Turnberry

Ayr

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Irvine Bogside Glasgow Gailes Western Gailes Dundonald Links Kilmarnock Barassie Royal Troon Prestwick Prestwick St Nicholas Turnberry Kintyre Turnberry Ailsa

Ayrshire, on the west coast of Scotland - now well within a couple of hours flight time of much of Europe, easily accessible from Ireland by sea and well connected by road from the south, making it the perfect short break or golf destination. For those planning a tour of Scotland, Ayrshire is less than ninety minutes drive from Edinburgh, thirty from Glasgow and can be easily fitted into an itinerary. The Isle of Arran, and a gateway to The Highlands, is connected to Ayrshire via the fifty five minute crossing on Cal Mac ferries from Ardrossan to Brodick or from the Mull of Kintyre from Clonaig. Prestwick Airport is only a few minutes from the courses of Scotland’s West Coast Golf Links and well connected to the rest of Ayrshire by an excellent rail and road network. Low cost airline Ryanair fly into Prestwick from an ever increasing number of European departure points. A host of long and short haul carriers fly into Glasgow Airport which is only thirty minutes from Ayrshire’s coast. P&O Irish Ferries run the fast ferry operation from Northern Ireland into Troon from March to September on the reliable P&O Express fast craft. Stena Line has sailings to Stranraer. The sailing takes about ninety minutes on the fast ferry and the drive to the heart of Ayrshire less than an hour. Ayrshire links were built along the stretch of railway from north to south with Turnberry originally being a railway hotel. Nowadays the stations at Irvine, Barassie, Troon, Prestwick give easy access to the majority of the courses and Girvan Station is only a few miles from Turnberry itself and the line links to all national routes via the east and west coast mainline.

Whatever your preferred mode of transport Ayrshire couldn’t be easier to get to or get around.