Prestwick Golf Club
Prestwick, Scotland
Arriving at Prestwick is like taking a step back in time. Walking through its front doors, you feel the history on display, starting with the red Moroccan belt that served as the original prize for winning The Open. If you're interested in golf history, get here early! Besides being a relaxing place to enjoy a pint, the Cardinal Lounge doubles as a museum offering a glimpse into golf's past.
The club is best known for being the birthplace of The Open Championship, a competition created in 1860 to establish the champion golfer of the day. Prestwick hosted the first 12 Open Championships and 24 in total (the last in 1925), second only to The Old Course at St Andrew's. The winner of the Open would receive a red belt, one similar to the one wrestlers and boxers fight for. While crafting the rules of this new tournament, it was decided that if a player won the belt for three consecutive years, he would be allowed to keep possession of it forever. Young Tom Morris won his third straight Open in 1870 and was allowed to keep the belt forever. Shortly after that, the Claret Jug was created. The original 12 holes laid out in 1851 can still be played today.
Unconventional as it may be, Prestwick presents a stern challenge, even for the modern golfer. It's devious, it's tricky, and it will have you scratching your head at points during the round. With devilish undulations, blind par-3s, severe slopes, and deep bunkers that swallow missed shots, Prestwick is a match-play rollercoaster. The unique links layout is quirky, to say the least. The first hole, "Railway," is a fine example. Teeing off with a long iron directly in front of an audience of heckling caddies, a stone wall runs along the entirety of the right side of the hole marking out of bounds. On the other side sits a train station shuttling commuters to and from work. With no range to warm up on, the slightest miss right on your first shot will have innocent bystanders ducking in fear.
I don't think any modern architect would be allowed to design a golf course like Prestwick today. And that's ok. It's what makes playing Prestwick so special. With its unrivaled history, charmingly unique course, and warm welcome, there are few places like it in the world of golf.
Public: Course Website | Opened: 1851 | Designer: Old Tom Morris
