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Prestwick Golf Club extends
a warm welcome to all Golfers from all around the World wishing
to come and enjoy our testing traditional Links. |
| A stretch of land unequalled anywhere in
the world for prime golfing terrain. Prestwick shares it boundaries
with Royal Troon and is just 20 minutes from Turnberry, with
Open final qualifying courses such as Kilmarnock Barassie, Glasgow
Gailes, Western Gailes and Irvine Bogside all within just 5 minutes
drive. |
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| Prestwick
Golf Club is a relaxed and friendly club that enjoys hosting
golfers from all around the World. Visitors are encouraged to
use their temporary membership to its full capacity, and enjoy
the full lunch in the lavish Dining room or just a snack in the
relaxed Cardinal room. |
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The
Prestwick Club was founded in 1851 and initiated the Open Championship.
The first twelve Open championships were played there over three
rounds of the twelve-hole links from 1860 until 1872. The competition
was initially for a Challenge Belt, of red morocco, ornamented
with silver plates, to become the property of any player winning
it three years in succession. |
| The
first Open was won by Willie Park senior, of the famous Musselburgh
golfing family, with 174 for 36 holes. Runner-up to Park was
the local favourite 'Old Tom' Morris from St Andrews who was
at that time retained as professional by the Prestwick club.
In 1870 his son 'Young Tom' Morris won the Belt for his third
consecutive year at the age of nineteen and so retained it. There
was no championship in 1871. Then the Royal and Ancient Club
of St Andrews and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
joined with Prestwick in subscribing the Silver Claret Jug which
became the permanent tropy of the Open Championship, to be played
in rotation over Prestwick, St Andrews and Musselburgh links.
Young Tom was the first winner of the Cup in 1872. |
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| The
vast Cardinal Bunker at the par 5 third hole is faced with railway
sleepers, which are a distinctive feature of the Old Prestwick
course. The 24th and last Open at Prestwick was played in 1925,
then the R&A removed Prestwick, the original sponsor and
venue, from the Open rota after the crowd engulfed the Scottish-American
MacDonald Smith, one of the Smith brothers originally from Carnoustie.
He had been leading, and as much as a 79 would have earned him
a play-off with the Cornish-American Jim Barnes, a score bettered
by every other player in the final top dozen - but he had a nightmare
final round of 82. |
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