Prestwick Golf Club
Prestwick is where the Open began. The first Championship was played here in 1860 and the club staged the next 24, and to play the links today is to walk a museum piece that still has teeth, full of blind shots, sleepered bunkers and the kind of quirk modern design has scrubbed away everywhere else.
Photo: Prestwick Golf Club via Google, contributor William Wallace.
The verdict
No course explains the origins of championship golf better than Prestwick. The railway runs hard down the right of the opening hole, the third tumbles into the vast sleepered Cardinal bunker, and the fifth, the Himalayas, is a blind par 3 played over a wall of dune to a green you simply have to trust is there. Purists adore it, and anyone with a sense of history should make the pilgrimage.
It is not a long course by modern numbers, but Prestwick is no pushover. The bunkering is fierce and ancient, the greens are full of movement, and the blind shots demand local knowledge or a caddie who has it. Play it for the romance, but keep the ball in play and you may also score. Paired with Royal Troon and Turnberry it completes the finest trio on the Ayrshire coast.
Prestwick at a glance
- Founded
- 1851
- Designer
- Old Tom Morris
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,908 yds
- Green fee
- Around £340
Founding, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026. Prestwick was founded in 1851 with the course laid out by Old Tom Morris, who struck the first shot of the first Open here in 1860. It plays par 71 at around 6,908 yards. Indicative 2026 visitor green fee is around 340 pounds for a summer day round. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Prestwick announces itself immediately. The first plays along a stone wall and the railway line, out of bounds all the way down the right, a nervy opener that has wrecked many a card before the round has settled. From there the links winds out into the dunes with the kind of features no architect would dare build today.
The third is the signature, a par 5 where the second shot must carry or skirt the Cardinal, an enormous bunker faced with old railway sleepers that cuts across the fairway. The fifth, the Himalayas, is a blind par 3 over a towering dune, and the seventeenth, the Alps, asks a blind approach over a ridge to a green hidden behind the Sahara bunker, one of the most famous and copied holes in golf.
These holes are the living history of the game, the templates that Charles Blair Macdonald carried to America and reproduced at the National Golf Links. To play them in the original is the whole point of a round at Prestwick.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club that welcomes visitors on set days, traditionally Tuesday and Friday, with limited weekend afternoon times on non competition days |
| Green fee | Around 340 pounds for a summer day round in 2026 (indicative), with seasonal and twilight variations |
| Booking | Apply ahead through the club; visitor demand is high in the Open season and lunch in the clubhouse is part of the experience |
| On the day | A walking course with caddies recommended for the blind shots; the smoking room and the famous clubhouse lunch are institutions |
| Getting there | On the Ayrshire coast next to Prestwick airport, about 40 minutes south west of Glasgow by car |
| Best months | May to September, the traditional visitor season, for firm turf and long days on the links |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The towns of Prestwick, Troon and Ayr sit right on top of the golf and offer everything from links hotels to guest houses minutes from the first tee. Staying here puts you within a short drive of Royal Troon, Western Gailes and Dundonald as well as Prestwick itself.
For a grander base, the Turnberry hotel down the coast pairs naturally with Prestwick on a classic Ayrshire week, and Glasgow is close enough to combine city and links if you prefer.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Prestwick.
Stay and play Prestwick and the Ayrshire coast
We arrange Prestwick on its visitor days, build the week around Royal Troon, Western Gailes and Turnberry, and sort a base on the coast. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Prestwick questions
Who designed Prestwick and how old is it?
Prestwick was founded in 1851 and the original twelve hole links was laid out by Old Tom Morris, who was the club's first keeper of the green. Six more holes were added in 1883 to make the eighteen played today.
Why is Prestwick called the birthplace of The Open?
The first Open Championship was played at Prestwick in 1860, and the club went on to host the Championship 24 times. Old Tom Morris struck the very first shot in Open history here.
What is the par and yardage of Prestwick?
Prestwick plays as a par 71 of around 6,908 yards. It is defended not by length but by blind shots, fierce sleepered bunkers and greens full of movement.
How much does it cost to play Prestwick?
The indicative 2026 visitor green fee is around 340 pounds for a summer day round, with seasonal and twilight variations. Fees change by year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Can visitors play Prestwick?
Yes, on set visitor days, traditionally Tuesday and Friday, with some limited weekend afternoon times on non competition days. It is a private members club, so apply well in advance.
Related
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Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.