Royal Troon (Old)
The Troon Golf Club , located in Ayrshire, Scotland, is considered as one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. The club has two courses, the old Course and the Portland Course.
History of the course
In 1878, a handful of golf enthusiasts formed the Troon Golf Club with the course having only five holes. Holes were added regularly and by 1888 the Old Course was extended to the standard 18 holes. The club was awarded the royal charter on their centenary year, i.e., in 1978, when the club's name was changed to Royal Troon Golf Club .
The Old Course is a regular links course with nine holes each on the front and back. The first few holes give you a spectacular view of the surroundings and on a clear day even the Ailsa Craig in the south and the mountains on the Isle of Arran in the west are visible.
There are bunkers everywhere and the problem is compounded by the fact that most of them are not visible from the tee. The course has flat greens and resembles the St Andrews course. The course also has a fair share of rough and gorse and broom which will penalize you for being wayward. The wind is also an important factor, especially when you are playing the inward holes.
Course Trivia
Though somewhat overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, the Prestwick Course, the Royal Troon (Old) is still one of the top golf courses in Scotland . In Golf Digest magazine's list of top 100 golf courses outside the US it holds the 34 th spot. As we continue on this tour we will learn about the other top-100 golf courses in the world.
