Scotland’s golf courses are some of the best in the world. Perhaps this is because the game of golf is credited as starting in Scotland and Scottish pride demands excellent courses for “their” game. A stone’s throw from Ayr lays Preswick, Scotland. This small town is home to an international airport and three excellent golf courses including the world-renowned Preswick Golf Club, home of the British Open. There are several golf courses within the area and these courses make Prestwick and Ayr an alluring destination to visitors. The Ayr/Prestwick area is a golfer’s paradise!
Founded in 1851, Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first Open in 1860. At the course’s inception, Tom Morris was brought in to be the Keeper of the Green, Ball and Club Maker. His son, young Tommy, grew up on the links and honed his skill at the game of golf. In later years, young Tommy went on to win an as yet unmatched 4 Opens. This course will challenge and delight you. The Pow River creates a natural obstacle as it flows through the course. The famous third hole (par 5) abruptly ends 300 yards from the tee at a deep bunker, “the Cardinal”. This hole has dashed many a golfer’s goal of winning their round.
Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club, founded in the latter part of 1951, boasts 18-holes that requires the golfer to think out their strategy. A beautiful course, it has some unique landmarks incorporated into it. The Salt Pan buildings date from 1790 and were used for the extraction of salt from the sea. The water-filled quarry just 50 meters from the sea provides the water used to irrigate the course. The quarry is filled with fresh water in spite of its proximity to the sea and provides sanctuary to a wide array of wild water birds.
Prestwick St Cuthbert Golf Club welcomes visitors with warmth that is not apparent at many courses. Visitors are greeted and shown around the facility by the Starter. He makes sure that they have what they need before they start their round. Be warned, there is no pro shop at Prestwick St Cuthbert Golf Club so come prepared. There are also a very limited number of carts for rent. The yellow course that the visitor’s play golf on is a par 68 and demands a great deal of attention if one wants to conquer the course.
Just down the road and sharing a border with the Prestwick Golf Club, Royal Troon offers three courses to the avid golfer. If you are looking for a challenge, the Old Course’s 18 holes is the right course for you. The wind and deep rough make accuracy a necessity. With five Par 3’s, the Portland Course is a bit more sheltered but its 18 holes are still quite challenging. The 9-hole Craigend Course has Par 3 holes and is used mostly by junior players because it is a kinder and gentler course. Royal Troon has very limited tee times for visitors so plan in advance and contact them to make sure that your vacation wishes can be accommodated. You will also want a list of the do’s and don’ts when visiting Royal Troon.
This is a small sampling of the courses that you can look forward to when you spend your golfing vacation in the area. Remember to make sure to contact each course well in advance to make sure that you can be accommodated and get all the pertinent visitor information. Taking a golf vacation in this area is definitely not a spur of the moment type of vacation. Your days can be filled enjoying the many gorgeous and well laid out courses that are minutes apart from each other. It will make you wish that you could enjoy the links every day all day.
