Royal Troon Golf Club

Lore & Background

The club, which now has a total of 45 holes, was founded in 1878, initially with five holes. It lies adjacent to the Firth of Clyde. George Strath was appointed in 1881 as the club's first golf professional, and together with 1882 Open champion Willie Fernie, designed the original course, expanding it to 18 holes by 1888. The two were assisted by Charlie Hunter, greenskeeper of the neighbouring Prestwick Golf Club, in Troon's formative years. When Strath left the club's employ in 1887, Fernie became head professional, and served in that role until his death in 1924. He laid out the club's Relief course, on the site of what would become Troon's New course, designed by Alister MacKenzie; shortly after opening the New course was renamed in honour of the 6th Duke of Portland. Troon was granted its 'Royal' designation in 1978, during its centenary. Its clubhouse, designed by Henry Edward Clifford and built in 1886, is richly decorated with historical golf artifacts. James Montgomerie, father of Colin Montgomerie, served as Secretary in the 1980s.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled off the Firth of Clyde, carrying salt spray that stung the eyes of every player lining up for the tee shot on the 8th. The green, no larger than a postage stamp, sat atop a ridge like an island in a sea of rough. A hush fell over the gallery as the leader stepped forward, club raised against the grey sky. One swing would decide whether glory or heartbreak awaited at Royal Troon.

Reader's Guide

The Old Course begins alongside the sea, running southwards in a line for the first six holes. This opening section offers full visibility and plenty of space, but does still require accuracy to avoid deep bunkers. Beginning with the seventh, the Old Course turns further inland, while simultaneously changing direction, on each of its next six holes, among hillier dunes and thicker vegetation, including ulex (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin), to severely punish offline shots. This sector, with two blind tee shots on the tenth and 11th, marks a sharp rise in difficulty from the opening holes. With the 13th hole, the player turns northwards for a long, very stern finish, running parallel to the opening stretch. This comprises three long par 4s, two tough par 3s, and a challenging par 5 (the 16th) with its fairway bisected at the halfway point by a ditch. Royal Troon is home to the shortest hole in Open Championship golf: the par-3 8th hole ('Postage Stamp') measures a scant 123 yards (112 m), but its diminutive green measures a mere 2,635 square feet. Two holes earlier, the par-5 6th ('Turnberry') extends to a lengthy 601 yards (550 m) and until the championship at Royal Liverpool in 2023 was the longest hole in Open history. The 11th hole ('The Railway') is one of the most difficult holes in major championship golf, a long par-4 with a blind tee shot over gorse and out of bounds along the railway on the right.

Did You Know?

• Royal Troon has hosted 10 Open Championships: 1923, 1950, 1962, 1973, 1982, 1989, 1997, 2004, 2016, and 2024.
• Past Open champions at Royal Troon include Justin Leonard, Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Watson, Tom Weiskopf, Arnold Palmer, Bobby Locke, and Arthur Havers. Four consecutive Opens at Troon were won by Americans from 1962 throu
• German golfer Sophia Popov won the 2020 Women's British Open at Royal Troon, regarded as one of the greatest upsets in major championship golf.
• The club's second course, the Portland, was redesigned in 1921 by Dr. Alister MacKenzie. The Craigend Course is a nine-hole par-3 course.