Royal Troon Golf Club
On the Ayrshire coast, looking across the Firth of Clyde to the peaks of Arran, Royal Troon is one of the elite rota of Open Championship links and one of the most coveted tee times in Scotland. It is a course of two halves and one tiny, terrifying par 3, and it most recently crowned a champion in 2024. For the travelling golfer, it is a bucket list round and the headline of any Ayrshire trip.
Photo: Royal Troon Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
Royal Troon was founded in 1878 and grew from five holes to a full links, with the Old Course shaped by early professionals George Strath and Willie Fernie and then lengthened and strengthened by the five time Open champion James Braid before it first hosted the Open in 1923. It has now staged the men's Open ten times, most recently in 2024 when Xander Schauffele won with a closing 65, and in 2016 it produced one of the great duels, Henrik Stenson's record 264 edging Phil Mickelson.
Our verdict is that Royal Troon is a genuine Open links and a must play for anyone touring Ayrshire, with the caveat that it is a stern, honest test rather than a charmer. The front nine runs out along the shore with the wind often helping, the back nine turns for home into the prevailing breeze and bares its teeth, and in between sits the Postage Stamp, the shortest hole in Open golf and one of the most famous. Play it on a visitor day, take the day ticket that adds the Portland course, and treat it as the centrepiece of a links rich Ayrshire week.
Royal Troon at a glance
- Opened
- 1878 (Open venue since 1923)
- Designer
- George Strath and Willie Fernie; James Braid
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 7,385 yards for the 2024 Open
- Green fee
- Indicative 2025 single round around 365 pounds; midweek around 250 pounds
Founding year, design history, Open record, par and yardage verified June 2026; green fees are indicative 2025 figures from the club (single Old Course round around 365 pounds in the main season, midweek Mon, Tue and Thu around 250 pounds, day ticket with the Portland course around 420 pounds) and 2026 rates may differ, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Troon famously starts gently and finishes brutally. The opening holes run out along the shore, often downwind, and give up early pars and the odd birdie to a player who keeps it tidy. Then comes the turn, and the back nine heads home into the prevailing wind over rougher, more rumpled ground, where long, exacting par 4s and the closing stretch can wreck a card that looked healthy at the turn. The challenge is to bank shots early and hang on.
The eighth, the Postage Stamp, is the hole everyone comes to see. At around 123 yards it is the shortest hole in Open Championship golf, a flick of a wedge to a minuscule green perched among deep, steep bunkers; miss it and the up and down to save par is one of the hardest small shots in the game. It has produced aces and disasters in equal measure across the Opens, and it embodies the truth that links golf is about precision, not power.
The wind is everything at Troon, as it is on any great links, and it dictates both strategy and score. On a benign day the front nine is there for the taking and the card can stay low; when the breeze gets up off the Firth, the long inward holes become a survival exercise and par feels like a triumph. The turf is classic Ayrshire links, firm and fast running in summer, so plan for the ground game, keep the ball under the wind, and respect the bunkers, which are penal and plentiful.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visitor days | Visitors welcomed mid April to October, generally on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; book well ahead |
| Indicative green fee | Around 365 pounds for a single Old Course round in the main season; around 250 pounds midweek (Mon, Tue, Thu) |
| Day ticket | A day ticket of around 420 pounds adds a round on the neighbouring Portland course |
| Caddies and handicap | Caddies available to book; a recognised handicap and proof are typically required on the Old Course |
| Getting there | Troon, on the Ayrshire coast, about 40 minutes from Glasgow and close to Prestwick airport |
Royal Troon takes visitors on set days from mid April to October and the best slots go many months ahead, so book early and bring a handicap certificate; fees are indicative 2025 figures, so confirm the current rate and visitor days directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Troon and the wider Ayrshire coast are well set up for golfers, with the grand Victorian links hotels and a range of inns and guest houses within easy reach of the first tee. Staying locally lets you make an early visitor day tee time without a long transfer and reach the cluster of Ayrshire links each day.
Ayrshire is one of the densest links regions in the world, so Royal Troon rarely travels alone. Trump Turnberry's Ailsa, Royal Troon's neighbour Prestwick, the first ever Open venue, and Western Gailes are all close by, which makes a multi day stay built around several courses the natural way to play. Glasgow, about 40 minutes away, offers a city base at either end of the trip.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts on the Ayrshire coast.
Play Royal Troon on an Ayrshire golf trip
Tell us when you want to play and who is travelling, and one concierge secures a Royal Troon visitor day, books the Ayrshire links around it and arranges the stay and caddies, costed to the head with no obligation. Troon tee times go many months ahead, so the sooner we start the better.
Royal Troon questions
How much does it cost to play Royal Troon?
An indicative 2025 single round on Royal Troon's Old Course in the main season is around 365 pounds, with a lower midweek rate of around 250 pounds on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a day ticket of around 420 pounds that adds a round on the Portland course. Caddies are extra. These are indicative figures and 2026 rates may differ, so always confirm the current price and visitor days directly with the club before booking.
Can visitors play Royal Troon?
Yes. Royal Troon welcomes visitors on set days, generally Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from mid April to October, and a recognised handicap is typically required to play the Old Course. The marquee tee times are booked many months in advance, so plan early, especially for a group or a specific date.
What is the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon?
The Postage Stamp is Royal Troon's par 3 eighth hole, and at around 123 yards it is the shortest hole in Open Championship golf. Its tiny green is ringed by deep, steep bunkers, making it as treacherous as it is short, and it is one of the most famous holes in the game, the scene of both holes in one and high numbers across the Opens.
Has Royal Troon hosted the Open Championship?
Yes, many times. Royal Troon first hosted the Open in 1923 and has now staged the men's Open ten times, most recently in 2024, when Xander Schauffele won with a closing round of 65. In 2016 it hosted a celebrated duel won by Henrik Stenson, whose 264 set the record for the lowest total in Open history at the time.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.