Royal Troon Old Course
Royal Troon is golf at its most honest. An Open Championship links on the Ayrshire coast, it runs out along the shore with the prevailing wind at your back, turns at the famous Postage Stamp, then asks you to fight every yard of the way home into the breeze. There is no hiding place and no scenery to soften the test, just firm turf, deep bunkers and the kind of links golf that has decided ten Opens.
Photo: Royal Troon Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
The Old Course at Royal Troon is one of the great examinations in championship golf, and it wears its difficulty plainly. Founded in 1878 and shaped into eighteen holes by the club's early professionals George Strath and Willie Fernie, it has the classic out and back routing of the old links: a gentler outward nine that runs down the coast with the wind, and a brutal homeward stretch that turns straight back into it. The contrast is the whole point, and it is why so many Opens here have been won and lost over the closing holes.
It suits the travelling golfer who wants the real thing rather than the manicured version, and it belongs at the centre of any Ayrshire itinerary alongside Turnberry and the hidden gem at Western Gailes. Play it on a windy day, which is to say most days, and you understand exactly why the Open keeps coming back. It is demanding, fair and utterly memorable.
Royal Troon Old Course at a glance
- Founded
- 1878
- Evolution
- Strath, Fernie, then Braid
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 7,385 yds
- Green fee
- Around £340
Founding year, par and championship yardage verified June 2026 from the club and Open Championship records; the Old Course played around 7,385 yards, par 71, for the 2024 Open and runs shorter from the everyday tees. The original eighteen were laid out by club professionals George Strath and Willie Fernie, with later revisions by James Braid, rather than to a single named architect. The green fee is indicative, around 340 pounds in the peak summer of 2026. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Royal Troon is defined by the run for home and by one tiny hole that has tormented the best in the world. The 8th, the Postage Stamp, is the shortest hole on the Open rota at around 123 yards, a wedge to a green so small and so closely guarded by deep bunkers and falling slopes that par feels like a birdie and a five is always lurking. It has produced holes in one and horror shows in the same championship, sometimes in the same group.
The outward nine plays down the shore and gives you your chances while the wind helps, but the course shows its teeth from the turn. The 11th, the Railway, runs hard along the line of the Glasgow to Ayr railway with gorse and out of bounds pressing the right side, a hole that has wrecked many a card just as the leaders thought they were settled.
From there the closing stretch grinds back into the prevailing wind, long par 4s into the teeth of it where pars are precious and the Claret Jug is so often decided. Add the firm Ayrshire turf and the ever present sea breeze and the Old Course gives you a championship test you will be retelling for years.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A members club that welcomes visitors on selected weekdays through the season; tee times are limited and go early |
| Green fee | Around 340 pounds in the peak summer of 2026 (indicative), typically including a round on the shorter Portland course |
| Booking | Book many months ahead; visitor times at an Open venue are scarce, especially around championship years |
| On the day | Walking course with caddies available on request; a handsome traditional clubhouse and a full practice ground |
| Getting there | On the Ayrshire coast at Troon, about 40 minutes south of Glasgow, with Prestwick Airport and a railway station close by |
| Best months | May to September for the firmest turf and longest days, though the wind is the constant |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the club; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with Royal Troon Golf Club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Troon and the wider Ayrshire coast make a natural base, with hotels and links a short drive apart so you can pair Royal Troon with Turnberry, Western Gailes and Prestwick across a full week. The Marine hotel sits above the course itself, and Glasgow is close enough to add a city night at either end.
For a grander stay, the Turnberry resort down the coast offers five star rooms above its own Open links, while Glasgow and Prestwick airports keep the travel simple from anywhere in Britain or Ireland.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Troon.
Stay and play in Ayrshire
We arrange Royal Troon alongside Turnberry, Western Gailes and Prestwick, secure the scarce visitor tee times before they fill and sort an Ayrshire base with transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Royal Troon Old Course questions
How old is Royal Troon Golf Club?
Royal Troon Golf Club was founded in 1878 and grew from a handful of holes to a full eighteen by 1888 under its early professionals George Strath and Willie Fernie. It was granted royal status in 1978 to mark its centenary, and the Old Course has hosted the Open Championship ten times for the men, most recently in 2024.
What is the par and length of Royal Troon Old Course?
The Old Course is a par 71. It played around 7,385 yards from the championship tees for the 2024 Open and runs shorter from the everyday markers. Its defence is the classic out and back links routing, with a gentler outward nine and a long, wind exposed homeward stretch.
What is the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon?
The 8th, the Postage Stamp, is the shortest hole on the Open Championship rota at around 123 yards. It is a short iron to a tiny green ringed by deep bunkers and steep falloffs, a hole that has yielded holes in one and ruinous high numbers in the same championship. Its name comes from the stamp sized green.
How much does it cost to play Royal Troon Old Course?
Indicative peak summer green fees for 2026 are around 340 pounds, a fee that typically also includes a round on the shorter Portland course. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Can visitors play Royal Troon Old Course?
Yes, on selected weekdays through the season, though tee times are limited and book up far in advance, especially in the years around an Open. As a members club with a championship calendar, Royal Troon rewards golfers who plan well ahead.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, par and championship yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.