Ayrshire

Open Championship Coast

Ayrshire

The west coast of Scotland is dotted with Open Championship venues and seaside links of the highest order. Ayrshire is where Royal Troon, Turnberry, and Prestwick stand within minutes of each other.

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Ayrshire — Course Map

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 East Lothian

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The Golf Coast

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Royal Troon

Location
Troon, Scotland
Opened
1878
Designer
Charlie Hunter
Events
The Open Championship (9 times + 2024), Women’s Open Championship
Rankings
13th best golf course in Scotland, top100golfcourse.com, 59th best golf course in the world, Golf Magazine (2021)

Numerous golfing greats have conquered Royal Troon’s Old course, including Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson, and Mark Calcavecchia. In recent years, Hendrik Stenson won the 2016 Open Championship. Interestingly, the course features both the longest hole in the Open rota—601 yards—and the shortest hole in the rota at the 8th, the famed par 3 “Postage Stamp” hole that can wreck both Open championship rounds and visitor rounds alike. In 2024, The Open Championship will return.

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Trump Turnberry — Ailsa Course

Location
Ayrshire, Scotland
Opened
1901
Designer
Willie Fernie
Events
The Open Championship (4 times), Walker Cup, Women’s Open Championship, British PGA Match Play Championship
Rankings
2nd best golf course in Scotland, top100golfcourse.com, 18th best golf course in the world, Golf Magazine (2021)

Turnberry is the most recent Open Championship Rota addition, first hosting the event in 1977 with Tom Watson winning. Since then, the three events have been exceptional: Greg Norman won in 1986, Nick Price won in 1994, and Stewart Cink infamously beat Tom Watson, who would have become the oldest major champion at 59, in 2009. Cliffside and dramatic, with a lighthouse and panoramic views, Turnberry’s Ailsa course is among the prettiest in the world.

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Prestwick Golf Club

Location
Prestwick, Scotland
Opened
1851
Designer
Old Tom Morris
Events
The Open Championship (24 times), British Masters
Rankings
14th best golf course in Scotland, top100golfcourse.com, 69th best golf course in the world, Golf Magazine (2021)

Prestwick is the famous home of the Open Championship, first contested on the 12 hole layout here in 1860. In fact, it has hosted the 2nd most Open Championships, only behind The Old Course. Not surprising to those who have played, but an impressive achievement nonetheless, Prestwick continues to be highly thought of, continuing to rank in the Top 100 Golf Courses in the world 170 years after opening.

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Western Gailes

Location
Irvine, Scotland
Opened
1897
Designer
Willie Park Sr (with later refinements by James Braid and others)
Events
The Open Championship Final Qualifying, Curtis Cup
Rankings
16th best golf course in Scotland, top100golfcourse.com

Tucked along the narrow strip of land between the Firth of Clyde and the Ayrshire railway line, Western Gailes is one of Scotland's most authentic and underrated links — a true members' club where the course routes you out, back, out, and back again to deal with the prevailing wind from every direction. Willie Park Sr.'s original 1897 layout has been refined by James Braid and others over the years, but the character remains: tight, gorse-lined fairways, firm fast turf, and views across to the Isle of Arran. It's a regular Final Qualifying venue for The Open and a perfect counterpart to neighbouring Royal Troon, Prestwick, and Dundonald.

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Dundonald Links

Location
Ayrshire, Scotland
Opened
2003
Designer
Kyle Phillips
Events
Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open (2015 – 2017), Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open (2017)
Rankings
30th best golf course in Scotland, top100golfcourse.com

Designed by US architect Kyle Phillips, he of Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart fame, this relatively new links course has made quite the splash on the Scottish golf scene, firmly placing itself in the top links courses in the country. Having hosted both the Ladies and Men’s Scottish Opens, the course has a championship pedigree but is very fair and playable for all levels of golfer. The addition of cabin accommodation on site makes this course a great option for a stay and play package on your Scottish itinerary.

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Kilmarnock (Barassie)

Location
Troon, Scotland
Opened
1887
Designer
Theodore Moone (with later work by James Braid and Donald Steel)
Events
The Open Championship Final Qualifying
Rankings
54th best golf course in Scotland, top100golfcourse.com

Sharing the Ayrshire coast with its more famous neighbours, Kilmarnock Barassie is often the unexpected highlight of a trip to the region — a quintessential members' club with a friendly clubhouse and a remarkably well-maintained championship links. Originally laid out in 1887 and significantly refined by James Braid in the 1920s before Donald Steel reorganised the routing in 1997, the course features the classic Ayrshire mix of links and heathland, with gorse, heather, and pine framing tight, undulating fairways. It serves as a regular Final Qualifying venue for The Open Championship when held at Royal Troon.

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