Prestwick Golf Club
Prestwick is where The Open was born, first played here in 1860 and hosted twenty four times. Old Tom Morris built the original links in 1851, and the par 71 of 6,544 yards remains gloriously old fashioned, with blind shots, vast bunkers and history in every hummock of Ayrshire turf.
Photo: William Wallace via Google Maps.
The verdict
No course matters more to the story of the game than Prestwick. The club was founded in 1851 and appointed Old Tom Morris its keeper of the green, and it was here, in 1860, that the first Open Championship was played over three rounds of the original twelve holes. The Open returned to Prestwick twenty four times before 1925, more than enough to make this the cradle of championship golf.
The links was expanded to eighteen holes in 1882 and plays today to a par 71 of 6,544 yards. It is short by modern standards and gloriously eccentric, with blind shots over dunes, the cavernous Cardinal bunker, the railway tight down the right and the famous Alps hole. Purists adore it precisely because it has not been smoothed into submission. To walk Prestwick is to walk through the history of the game.
Prestwick at a glance
- Founded
- 1851
- Designer
- Old Tom Morris
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,544 yds
- Green fee
- From GBP 170
Founding date, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Prestwick Golf Club and leading course databases. Old Tom Morris built the original course in 1851, expanded to eighteen holes in 1882, a par 71 of 6,544 yards. Recent visitor green fees run from about 170 pounds on weekday mornings to around 380 pounds in peak May to September season, indicative for 2026. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Prestwick is a links of quirks and theatre. The opening hole runs tight alongside the stone wall and the railway, an unforgiving start, and the round soon serves up the legendary par 5 third with its yawning Cardinal bunker faced in railway sleepers. Blind shots over dunes are part of the fabric, asking the modern golfer to trust a marker post and the local knowledge of a caddie.
The Alps, the seventeenth, is the most famous blind approach in golf, played over a great ridge to a green hidden beyond, the Sahara bunker waiting short. Old Tom Morris and the natural duneland did the design work, and almost nothing has been tamed since. The greens are firm and fast, the bunkering severe, and the wind off the Firth of Clyde reorders the card daily.
This is not a long course, but it is a thinking one, full of decisions and hidden hazards that reward a second visit and a good caddie on the first. Prestwick is best played slowly, savoured for its history and its eccentricity rather than attacked for a score. There is nowhere quite like it.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Private members' club; visitors welcome to book most days, mornings and afternoons, Thursday mornings only |
| Green fee | From about 170 pounds weekday mornings to around 380 pounds in peak season; indicative, 2026 |
| Booking | Reserve well ahead through the club office; summer dates go early; a caddie is strongly recommended |
| On the day | Firm, fast links with blind shots; a caddie or a playing partner who knows the lines is invaluable |
| Getting there | Prestwick, Ayrshire, beside Glasgow Prestwick airport, about 45 minutes southwest of Glasgow |
| Best months | May to September for the driest links weather; spring and autumn are quieter and cheaper |
Access and fees verified June 2026; rates and availability change by season, so always confirm directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
Prestwick and neighbouring Troon and Ayr offer everything from links hotels to seaside guesthouses, and the town is a short walk from the first tee. Trump Turnberry, with its grand hotel and the Ailsa course, sits half an hour south for a more luxurious base.
The Ayrshire coast is one of the great golfing corners of the world, with Royal Troon, Western Gailes and Dundonald all within twenty minutes, and Glasgow forty five minutes north for city nights. Prestwick anchors an Ayrshire links tour beautifully.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Prestwick.
Build a Scotland golf trip
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Prestwick questions
Why is Prestwick important to golf history?
Prestwick hosted the first Open Championship in 1860 and staged it twenty four times to 1925. Founded in 1851 with Old Tom Morris as keeper of the green, it is widely regarded as the birthplace of championship golf.
What is the par and length of Prestwick?
Prestwick plays as a par 71 of 6,544 yards. It is short by modern standards but full of blind shots, huge bunkers and quirks that make it one of the most characterful links in the world.
How much does it cost to play Prestwick?
Recent visitor green fees run from about 170 pounds on weekday mornings to around 380 pounds in peak May to September season, indicative for 2026. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Can visitors play Prestwick?
Yes. Prestwick is a private members' club that welcomes visitors to book on most days, mornings and afternoons, with Thursday mornings only. Reserve well ahead and consider a caddie for the blind shots.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.