The Open returns to Royal Troon in 2023
The 152nd Open Championship will be played at the Old Course of Royal Troon Golf Club in 2023 – good news not only for the Club founded in 1878. The return of golf’s original oldest championship will also put a limelight on golf in Ayrshire. This historic county on the west coast of Scotland boasts more than fifty golf courses which joined forces in the marketing partnership “Ayrshire Golf Scotland”. Ayrshire is home to another links course on the current rota of the Open Championship, Turnberry, which hosted the British Open, as the tournament is known outside of the British Isles, last in 2009 when 59 year old American Tom Watson lost in a playoff to American fellow countryman Stewart Cink. Only a few miles from Troon modern tournament golf was born when Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first Open Championship in 1860. Prestwick hosted The Open 24 times till 1925 when the course could not offer enough space to accommodate tens of thousand spectators. But first let us get back to the announcement by the R&A to return to one of the world’s greatest championship links, the Old Course of Royal Troon. The occasion will mark the 100th anniversary of the British Open first held at Royal Troon in 1923, which saw Englishman Arthur Havers defeat American Walter Hagen by one shot. It will also be the tenth time that golf’s original and oldest championship will be played over the famous links in Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland. The Open was last held at Royal Troon in 2016 when Swede Henrik Stenson memorably shot a superb final round of 63 to hold off the challenge of American lefty Phil Mickelson in an unforgettable duel and win the Championship on a record 20-under-par total of 264.
Four years after the club voted to admit female members the Old Course will stage the 44th AIG Women’s British Open for the first time this year from August 27th to 30th. The course will be closed for play during the whole week. Otherwise visitors are always welcome at the two courses of Royal Troon, Old and Portland, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visitors are welcome from April 13 to October 6, 2020. To play the Old Course visitors must present a handicap of 20 for Gentlemen and 30 for Ladies. Golfers must be aged12 and over to play the Old Course (golfers aged 12 to 15 are required to have a handicap of 12 or less to play the Old Course). Greenfee for the Old Course is £ 260 and £ 90 on the Portland Course. Day Ticket to play both courses is £ 300. Especially if you want to walk in the footsteps of golfing legends like Sarazen, Locke, Palmer, Nicklaus, Watson and Woods booking of a tee time months in advance is advised since the Old Course is on the bucket list of all links golf enthusiasts. “Ayrshire Golf Scotland” offers many great “Golf Passes” to enjoy some of the greatest links at affordable prices. Just one example: “Open Links of Ayrshire” is a “Stay and Play Package” with two nights at the Trump Turnberry Resort and rounds on the three Open courses of Ayrshire, Royal Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick starting at £ 1300 per person sharing a double room. Dundonald Links, site of the Scottish Open on the European and Ladies European Tour (LET), Western Gailes and the new King Robert the Bruce Course of Turnberry are also highly rated world class golf courses. But there is an even larger variety of lesser known hidden gems at very attractive rates. “Ayrshire Golf Passes” offer a great choice of courses to fit any budget.
Ayrshire Golf Media & Marketing Office Continental Europe Helma Scheffler Public Relations Helma Scheffler helma@helma-scheffler-pr.com
