Prestwick: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Prestwick is where The Open began, an Old Tom Morris links on the Ayrshire coast whose blind shots and ancient bunkers are a pilgrimage for anyone who loves the history of the game. Here is where it stands in 2026, how visitor access and booking work, and how to play it.
The news: the birthplace of The Open, still a bucket list round
Prestwick heads into 2026 as one of the most historically important pieces of ground in golf, and demand for a round reflects it. This is where The Open Championship was born in 1860, and where it returned 24 times through to 1925. The course has not chased modern length or symmetry, and that refusal to change is exactly why golfers fly in to play it.
The practical update for visitors is about access and price. Prestwick is a private members club that welcomes visitors on weekdays, with a peak summer green fee that places it among the more expensive rounds in Scotland and reduced midweek rates available at quieter times. Tee times go through the club in advance, so it needs planning rather than a walk up.
The course itself
Founded in 1851 and shaped by Old Tom Morris, Prestwick plays as a par 71 of about 6,540 yards, with the championship tees stretching it considerably further. Several of the original holes and green sites remain in play, which gives the round a direct line back to the earliest days of championship golf. It is a links of humps, hollows, blind shots and enormous old bunkers, the kind of golf that has largely been designed out of the modern game.
The signature holes are the heart of it. The 3rd plays over the vast Cardinal bunker with its timber sleepers, the 5th is the blind Himalayas par 3 over a towering dune, and the 17th, the Alps, asks for a blind approach over a ridge to a hidden green guarded by the Sahara bunker. Purists will find the quirk thrilling, and even sceptics tend to leave converted.
How to play it in 2026
Plan Prestwick as a weekday round. Visitors are generally accepted on weekday mornings and afternoons, with Thursday often limited to mornings and weekends reserved for members, so the tee sheet rewards those who book early. A deposit is usually required to confirm a reservation, and a caddie is worth taking to help with the blind shots and the lines that locals know by heart.
On cost and timing, the peak summer green fee runs high and reduced rates appear on quieter midweek days, all of which should be treated as indicative for the 2026 season. Confirm the current rate, the visitor windows and the deposit terms directly with the club before booking.
Our take
Our take is that Prestwick is essential for anyone who cares about where the game came from, and a thoroughly enjoyable links in its own right rather than a museum piece. The blind shots and the old bunkering demand a sense of humour and a caddie, but the reward is a round that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.
If you are building a 2026 Ayrshire trip, anchor it on Prestwick and pair it with Royal Troon and Turnberry for one of the strongest links clusters in the world. Book a weekday tee time well ahead, take a caddie, and give yourself time afterward to sit in the old clubhouse and take in the history.
Plan your Ayrshire golf trip
From the birthplace of The Open at Prestwick to Royal Troon and Turnberry, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play Prestwick in 2026?
Yes. Prestwick is a private members club that welcomes visitors on weekdays, typically mornings and afternoons with Thursday limited to mornings. Tee times are booked in advance through the club, a deposit is usually required, and weekend access is restricted, so plan a weekday round.
Why is Prestwick historically important?
Prestwick is the birthplace of The Open Championship. The first Open was played here in 1860 and won by Willie Park Senior, and the club went on to host The Open 24 times, the last in 1925. Several original holes and green sites are still in play today.
What are the signature holes at Prestwick?
Prestwick is famous for its old fashioned, blind and quirky holes. The 3rd plays over the vast Cardinal bunker, the 5th is the blind Himalayas par 3, and the 17th, the Alps, asks for a blind approach over a ridge to a hidden green. They are the heart of the course's charm.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, season and access details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.