A jewel in the crown of Ayrshire Golf.
Royal Troon Golf Club is always held high in prestige amongst golfers from all over the world. However I personally have not played at Royal Troon since early 2003. Having watched Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson battle it out in one of the finest final rounds in Open Championship history, I was looking forward to familiarising myself with the golf course again.
As you walk in the grand foyer you receive a warm welcome. Straight away clap eyes on the famous Claret Jug in a cabinet ahead of you. Walking down the hall towards the locker room it’s like walking through a mini museum. The club includes some great memorabilia from previous Open Championships and Amateur Championships at Royal Troon; as well as the club’s amazing history.
Tee off at Royal Troon
After a quick chip and a putt around the practice green we were ready to rock for our tee time. With 20-degree heat, sun and a gentle puff of wind from the east it was an ideal day for golf. Scotland hasn’t seen rain in weeks and the course was looking as ‘Linksy’ as a seaside course can look with dry firm fairways. One thing that became apparent after negotiating through the first few holes at Royal Troon is that you must know the yardages to avoid the fairway bunkers. Accuracy was key with hitting long irons off 90% of the tees all the way round. The 6th hole ‘Turnberry’ is the longest hole in Open Championship golf. However after a solid drive and 4 wood I made it home to the par 5 in 2…… one to tell the grandkids 🙂
Getting below par I found myself on the most famous hole at Royal Troon; the par 3 8th ‘Postage Stamp’, which is the shortest hole on The Open Championship rota. 110yd tee shot that was 1 yrd offline, 5 bunker shots and a couple of putts later I walk off with an 8. Probably 2 of the toughest bunkers I’ve ever been in….. one NOT to tell the grandkids! Royal Troon has a wonderful mix of Par 5’s, 4’s and some of the strongest par 3’s you’ll likely play.
Last remaining holes
As the sun was going down the views of the Isle of Arran and sunset were spectacular. We headed for home over the final few challenging holes. Managing to play some solid golf on the back half and making 3 on the last hole to take the money off the American collegiate capped off a wonderful day on the Links. It’s incredible to think Henrik Stenson shot 63 in the ‘Duel at Troon’ to claim The Open in 2016.
Royal Troon – top golf course in Scotland
Royal Troon will have you using every club in your bag; as well as requiring a heap of imagination and creativity around the greens and that’s why I loved it! It’s just a great fun course to play. Every hole is unique in its own way and poses their own challenges. The Championship Course has made me rethink my top 10 courses in Scotland and is a must play for any keen golfer in the area. I won’t be leaving it as long until I tee it up there again.
If you would like to play at Royal Troon Golf Club during your golf tour to Scotland please let us know and we will be delighted to include this fantastic course within your package.