EXPERIENCE WESTERN SCOTLAND
One of the finest collections of links golf courses in the world...host to 37 Open Championships.
WESTERN SCOTLAND... HOME OF THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Between Turnberry, Royal Troon and Prestwick, the Open Championship has been hosted along western Scotland's coast 37 times.
One of Scotland’s most historic and beloved golfing regions, a golf vacation to Scotland’s west coast will take to you the very heart of Scotland’s golfing heritage. Western Scotland can rightly champion itself as the Home of The Open Championship, having first been played here in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club.
This area has an almost unbroken stretch of links golf courses running the entire length of its coast with three Open Championship courses. There are probably more outstanding golf courses in this rugged and beautiful corner of the country than anywhere else in the world.
GREAT
VACATION IDEAS
5 Nights / 5 Rounds Of Links Golf
5 Nights / 5 Rounds / From $3,390 USD pp
Stay at the Gailes Hotel and play great links golf from Prestwick south to Turnberry! Enjoy playing 2 Open Championship courses.
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TOUR INCLUDES:
- 5 nights double rooms at The Gailes Hotel in Troon
- 5 rounds at Prestwick, Turnberry Ailsa & King Robert the Bruce courses, Western Gailes & Dundonald Links
- Full Scottish breakfast each morning
- Self-drive automatic rental vehicle
- Price includes all taxes and surcharges
The Open Championship Grande Tour
6 Nights / 6 Rounds / From $3,990 USD pp
Play the 3 courses to have hosted The Open Championship 37 times... Royal Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry. Stay in the Marine Hotel, where you can walk to the 1st tee of Royal Troon.
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TOUR INCLUDES:
- 6 nights double rooms at The Marine Hotel located next to the Royal Troon clubhouse
- 6 rounds at Royal Troon, Prestwick, Turnberry Ailsa, Western Gailes, Dundonald Links & Gailes Links
- Full Scottish breakfast each morning
- Self-drive automatic rental vehicle
- Price includes all taxes and surcharges
5 Star Turnberry Resort Stay & Play
5 Nights / 5 Rounds / From $3,990 USD pp
Stay in luxury at Turnberry Resort and enjoy 5 rounds of classic links golf... Turnberry Ailsa & King Robert the Bruce courses, Prestwick, Royal Troon & Western Gailes. Includes Scottish breakfast and rental vehicle.
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TOUR INCLUDES:
- 5 nights double rooms at the luxury 5 Star Turnberry Resort Hotel
- 5 rounds of golf at Turnberry Ailsa & King Robert the Bruce courses, Royal Troon, Prestwick & Western Gailes
- Full Scottish breakfast each morning
- Self-drive automatic rental vehicle
- Price includes all taxes and surcharges
Links Golf Marathon
8 Nights / 10 Rounds / From $4,790 USD pp
Play 10 rounds of golf along the greatest stretch of links coastline in the world! From Troon to Turnberry and every links in between...
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TOUR INCLUDES:
- 8 nights double rooms at The Gailes Hotel
- 10 rounds at Royal Troon Old & Portland courses, Turnberry Ailsa & King Robert the Bruce courses, Prestwick, Western Gailes, Gailes Links, Dundonald Links, Prestwick St Nicholas & Irvine
- Full Scottish breakfast each morning
- Self-drive automatic rental vehicle
- Price includes all taxes and surcharges
Not quite what you're looking for? Let us tailor your personal Ireland golf vacation to perfectly match your style, pace and budget!
WESTERN SCOTLAND COURSES
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ROYAL TROON GOLF CLUB
18 holes, 71 par, 6,641 yards
Royal Troon was founded in 1878 as a five-hole golf course following a meeting in the local pub by a group of golf enthusiasts. It was George Strath, Troon’s pro, who was largely responsible for the original course design. Willie Fernie and James Braid later modified and extended the layout. In 1923, Royal Troon Golf Club hosted its first Open and finally moved out of the shadow of its famous neighbour, Prestwick. (By 1923, Prestwick had already hosted 23 Open Championships).
Royal Troon is a traditional out and back links course. The opening few holes are relatively gentle, with a series of short par fours running along the Firth of Clyde. It’s from these early holes that you get the chance to soak up the views. On a clear day, you can see the distant Ailsa Craig in the south, and to the west, the majestic mountains on the Isle of Arran.
The course measures 7,208 yards from the championship tees and bunkers are everywhere, the majority of which are not visible from the tees. There’s plenty of deep rough and a smattering of gorse and broom to punish the wayward shot. The 6th is the longest par five in Open Championship golf and the 8th the “Postage Stamp” is the shortest par three in the Open rota at 123 yards. -
TURNBERRY GOLF CLUB AILSA COURSE
18 holes, 70 par, 6,976 yards
The Ailsa course at Turnberry is probably the most scenic Open Championship golf course. Situated on a craggy headland the course overlooks the small island of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde, with superb views across to the Mull of Kintyre and the Isle of Arran.
Turnberry Golf Club was established in 1902 and Willie Fernie of Troon was commissioned to lay out a championship course. In 1906, the Turnberry Hotel opened and it continues to serve guests to this day, having been completely updated since it's purchase by the Trump group.
This layout changed its name to the Ailsa in 1926 and a redesign by Major Cecil Hutchison was completed in 1938, when he combined the old 6th and 7th and introduced the famous par three 15th hole.
Turnberry twice came close to extinction; it was requisitioned during both World Wars and used as an airbase. During the Second World War, a number of holes were flattened and turned into expansive concrete runways. Philip Mackenzie Ross was given the task of returning the flattened land back to its former glory after the second World War. It was a huge task, but in 1951, after two years of intensive work, the links reopened.
Mackenzie Ross did a great job; the highest compliment being paid when, in 1977, the Ailsa course hosted its first Open. The 1977 Open was a classic, famous for the final round battle between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, with Watson winning the Open by a shot with a 2 foot birdie on 18. -
PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB
18 holes, 71 par, 6,778 yards
Prestwick Golf Club was founded In 1851, with Old Tom Morris as “Keeper of the Green”. Nine years later in 1860, the British Open Championship was born and played for the first time at Prestwick. The Open has been held here 24 times, although the most recent championship was in 1925. St Andrews is the only venue to have hosted more Opens (26) than Prestwick.
The course is a traditional British links, with a layout of holes that snake through rugged dunes and rippled fairways. There are numerous blind holes and cavernous bunkers with wooden steps to take you down to the bottom. The greens are notoriously firm and fast, some are hidden in hollows while others are raised high. The majority are quite small and all of them have humps and hollows to negotiate. -
WESTERN GAILES GOLF LINKS
18 holes, par 71, 6,640 yards
Western Gailes Golf Club is between Irvine Bay and the railway tracks on one of Ayrshire’s narrowest strips of links land. The club and its next-door neighbor, Glasgow Gailes, are the northernmost of the exceptional links courses located on this stretch of Ayrshire coastline.
The holes at Western Gailes are wonderfully varied. The fairways undulate gently, interrupted occasionally by three meandering burns that dissect the property. The greens sites are located in naturally folded ground, some are protected by burns while others are in hollows guarded by sand dunes. All the greens are fast, firm and subtly contoured.
Be prepared for a westerly wind that can be undeniably ferocious as it switches direction from south-westerly to north-westerly. Western Gailes is a suitably fitting name for this golf course.
Expect to use every club in your bag here. The layout measures 6,714 yards from the back tees and Western has hosted a number of important events, including the 1972 Curtis Cup and the 1964 PGA Championship. Additionally, the course is used for final qualifying when the Open is played at Troon or Turnberry. -
DUNDONALD LINKS
18 holes, 72 par, 6,725 yards
Dundonald translates to “Fort Donald” and fortifications have been located near here dating as far back as 200 BC. A golf course existed on the site in the early 1900s but this was later turned into a military station named Dundonald Camp. It was here that D-Day landings were rehearsed during the Second World War.
Lying next to the long established courses of Kilmarnock Barassie, Glasgow Gailes and Western Gailes, Dundonald is situated in prime golfing country. The course yardage can vary from 6,415 to 7,300 yards so it can be played as a comfortable member course or as a championship venue.
Re-opened in 2005 and designed by Kyle Phillips of Kingsbarn fame, Dundonald has since proved to be a links of some repute and was the host venue for the 2017 Scottish Open. It is a famed addition to the Top 100 Links Courses of Ireland and Scotland. -
IRVINE GOLF CLUB BOGSIDE
18 holes, 71 par, 6,594 yards
When Robert Adam, a young man from Leven in Fife, moved to Irvine, just north of Troon on the West Coast of Scotland in 1884, he found no golf course within comfortable travelling distance. His desire and the drive and leadership of James Stewart led to a meeting of thirteen men at the King's Arms in 1887 to form a Club on land in Bogside, a tract of land belonging to the 14th Earl of Egilton.
Irvine Golf Club's current design owes much to the work of James Braid in 1926, and its status is confirmed by its regular hosting of national events including the Open Qualifying events held there prior to the Open Championship at Royal Troon and Turnberry.
Of medium length, the course begins with one of five par fours over 400 yards, while successive shortish par fours, numbers 4 and 5, require tee shot accuracy on a course where gorse and heather define the fairways.
Views of the Isle of Arran dominate the 12th tee, one of eight par fours on the back nine.
Irvine Golf Club has produced three former Scottish Amateur Champions, a testimony to its quality and it provides yet another reason to travel to this wonderful golf country, the South West Coast of Scotland. -
Gailes Links 5 for web
GAILES LINKS
Gailes Links was opened in 1892 by Glasgow Golf Club, the 9th oldest golf club in the world. Its West Coast setting and fabulous condition makes it ideal for summer and winter golf in Scotland. It is a world class links course which attracts players from every corner of the globe.
Notorious for its gorse and heather-lined fairways, Gailes Links is a tough cookie. It’s a final qualifying site when the Open is at either Turnberry or Troon. Needless to say, it tests the very best professionals. Many of the holes are fraught with danger, with out-of-bounds lurking beyond the railway line and the perimeter of the course. Straight and solid driving is required to card a good score. And beware of the wind, it is a serious hazard when it is blowing.
Gailes Links is kept out of the limelight by the other legendary links courses situated along this stretch of coastline. But you will be hard-pressed to find a better unsung layout than here. It really should be included on any must-play list – it’s a genuine test and host to Open Championship Final Qualifying from 2014 to 2017. -
KILMARNOCK GOLF CLUB BARASSIE COURSE
18 holes, 72 par, 6,852 yards
Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club is located a few miles north of Troon, directly opposite the Barassie railway station. The club was founded well over 100 years ago in 1887. Theodore Moon originally designed the course, and it started as an 18-hole layout. Recently, the club has added nine new holes. These new holes, and nine from the original layout, now form the Barassie course, which is used for Open Championship Qualifying. The spare 9-hole course is now called the Hillhouse Course, and you should play all 27 wonderful holes while you're on property.
The Barassie is a serious test, measuring 6,852 yards from the medal tees. This classic links course has everything, great conditioning, humps, hollows, undulations, blind shots, lightning fast greens and, above all, a great atmosphere. Make sure you don't rush past Kilmarnock (Barassie) on your way to play Royal Troon. This links classic has much to offer and is a joy to play.
WESTERN SCOTLAND LODGING
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MARINE HOTEL
The 4-star Marine Hotel is found at the beach in Troon, overlooking both the Royal Troon Golf Club and the Firth of Clyde in the direction of the Isle of Arran. The hotel is close to 40 golf courses and is about 45 minutes’ drive from Glasgow.
All rooms at the hotel have a flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, workstation, tea and coffee facilities and minibar. Suites add a separate living space, a bathrobe, and slippers. Twenty-four-hour room service is available to all guests.
The Marine has an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, beauty treatment rooms, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, spa and solarium. The non-smoking hotel also has four meeting rooms and free parking.
Breakfast is served daily. The Truin Restaurant, inside the hotel, serves traditional food using locally-sourced ingredients.
Troon Rail Station is half a mile away, Prestwick Airport two miles, and the Ayr Racecourse eight miles from the hotel. -
TRUMP TURNBERRY HOTEL
Golf at Turnberry was a secret treasured only by locals until railway companies began to develop Scotland's magnificent landscape into attractions that would lure travellers to the countryside and require a ride on their trains. The dream of escaping the bustling city for the high life inspired day-trippers, weeklong boarders and families to visit seaside resorts all over the UK. To capture this business, the South-Western Railway built its railroad line from Ayr to Girvan, and also built the Station Hotel at Turnberry.
The hotel and resort opened in 1906, offering luxury rarely seen at the time. With electric lighting, central heating, hot and cold running water, and saltwater plunge baths, the Station Hotel offered a rare glimpse into a whole new way of living. Designed by talented young architect, James Miller, the hotel at Turnberry was grand, but intentionally unostentatious. The classic combination of white plasterwork and red pan tile roof is still part of the iconography of Turnberry today.
Inside, opulent appointments were specified throughout, and little expense was spared. Service was of an equally high standard, with teams of maids, butlers, cleaners, cooks, liverymen and boilermen comfortably outnumbering the guests.
And though it has been dramatically modernized, with the Trump organization spending over $200 million on upgrades and improvements since their purchase, guests at Turnberry today still stay in the same graceful building that early 20th century travelers did, and are attended to with the same pleasing service. A comfortable and remarkably lavish step back in time. -
GAILES HOTEL
This four-star hotel is surrounded by three golf courses and has a contemporary restaurant plus leisure facilities.
All of the guestrooms feature en-suite facilities with free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen television with satellite channels, complimentary toiletries, and tea and coffee making facilities. The penthouse suite has a full kitchen, lounge, whirlpool tub, and private rooftop garden.
Guests at the The Gailes Hotel Hotel have access to an adjacent fitness centre with a sauna and steam room. Other amenities include event space and free parking.
A full Scottish breakfast is available each morning. Dinner is available at the hotel restaurant which also features terrace seating.
The The Gailes Hotel Hotel has views of the Isle of Arran and guests can enjoy such activities as horseback riding, hunting, sceet shooting and fishing. Dundonald Castle is about 4 miles from the hotel. -
SOUTH BEACH HOTEL
Facing the town of Troon's tranquil seafront, The South Beach Hotel offers brightly furnished rooms with en-suite bathrooms, free parking, and is just 5 minutes' walk from Troon's town center.
Guests can relax in Millers Bar with Sky TV, or in the beautiful gardens. Each room at The South Beach features a TV, radio and tea/coffee for guests to enjoy. Some rooms offer sea views as well.
The tastefully refurbished Millers Bar serves freshly prepared dishes from its bar menu, made from local Ayrshire produce. Guests can dine in the conservatory overlooking the beach or enjoy drinks in the garden in warmer weather. Troons' seafront is just 50 yards from the hotel and six golf courses are located within a five minutes drive. Guests can walk to Royal Troon Golf Club in about 5 minutes. -
PIERSLAND HOUSE
Piersland House Hotel in Troon occupies a magnificent Victorian building once home to the Johnnie Walker whisky founder. It offers four-star accommodation with landscaped gardens adjacent to Royal Troon Golf Course.
There are traditional hotel rooms, courtyard cottage suites with lounges and a modern lodge facing the Royal Troon. All tastefully-decorated rooms feature en-suite bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities and satellite television. Family rooms are available.
Piersland House Hotel boasts conference facilities, an outdoor terrace and free on-site parking.
The Walker Bar features traditional fireplaces and a huge selection of whiskies. It serves a lunch buffet and all day menu brimming with pub favorites. From Wednesdays to Sundays there’s also Red Bowl Restaurant serving contemporary cuisine in chic surroundings.
The hotel is within ten minutes’ drive of Glasgow Prestwick Airport and a five-minute walk from Troon Beach with its views of the Isle of Arran.
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THE AREA
THE LINKS OF WESTERN SCOTLAND
The stretch of the Ayrshire coast from West Kilbride in the north to Girvan in the south is certainly one of the most bountiful in links golfing terms. On a stretch of coastal land not more than 45 miles you will find more than a dozen of the finest and most varied links golf courses you could ever hope to experience. From Royal Troon in the north to Turnberry in the south and the likes of Prestwick, Western Gailes, Gailes Links, Prestwick St Nicholas, Dundonald Links and Barassie Links in between, this coastline of Scotland will keep you busy playing links golf for weeks. And quite honestly, you can walk from one to the other, as so many of these great courses lie side by side by side. It's been done before...
THE WEATHER
THE OPEN HISTORY
THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE OPEN
On October 17, 1860, eight professional golfers assembled at Prestwick Golf Club for a tournament to determine who would be the Champion Golfer. The winner was to receive the Challenge Belt, a prize crafted from red Moroccan leather and worth £25. The competitors played three rounds of 12 holes, with Willie Park Sr. beating Old Tom Morris by two shots. Two years later Old Tom Morris won his first Open Championship by 13 shots, a record that stands to this day. Then, in 1870, just 10 years after The Open began, Tom Morris Jr won for the third consecutive time and thus became the permanent owner of the Challenge Belt. A new trophy had to be purchased and The Golf Champion Trophy, now referred to as the Claret Jug, was made by Mackay Cunningham & Company of Edinburgh. The first name to be engraved on it was Tom Morris Jr’s name as the 1872 winner. The original trophy permanently resides on display in the R&A's Clubhouse at St Andrews. Therefore, the trophy that is presented at each Open is a replica which is retained by the winner for a year. The winner of the Open is announced as "The Champion Golfer of the Year", a title which has been used since the first Open in 1860.