The 152nd Open Championship will be played at the Old Course of Royal Troon Golf Club in 2023, which is 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.
The occasion to return to to one of the world’s greatest championship links, the Old Course of Royal Troon (13th hole pictured above), will mark the 100th anniversary of The Open Championship first held at Royal Troon in 1923.
That event 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.
Women’s British Open this year
Four years after the club voted to admit female members the Troon 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 aged 12 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 Golf Passes to enjoy some of the greatest links at affordable prices. Also Stay and Play Packages are available with two nights at the Trump Turnberry Resort and rounds on the three Open courses of Ayrshire, Royal Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick.
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 can easily be reached through Glasgow or even Edinburgh. Both international airports offer many nonstop flights from various European cities. Also Prestwick Airport only five minutes away from Troon offers a number of flight connections.
Read more: Ayrshire Golf Scotland
