Prestwick, Scotland · Links
24 major championships hosted since 1860
Established
1851
Designer
Old Tom Morris
Par
71
Championship Yardage
6,908 yds
Prestwick Golf Club, laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1851, is the birthplace of The Open Championship. The first Open was played here in 1860 over the club's original 12-hole links, and Prestwick hosted the championship for its first dozen years.
Willie Park Sr. won that inaugural Open, and Old Tom Morris and his son Young Tom Morris dominated the early years on this ground. Prestwick staged the championship 24 times before hosting it for the last time in 1925.
Lowest scoring marks recorded in major championship competition at Prestwick Golf Club.
Course Record (round)
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Lowest 72-Hole Total
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First Major Hosted
1860
Total Majors Hosted
24
Every major championship staged at Prestwick Golf Club, by championship and year.
| Championship | Times | Years |
|---|---|---|
| The Open | 24 | 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1872, 1875, 1878, 1881, 1884, 1887, 1890, 1893, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1914, 1925 |
Defining rounds and championship moments in the history of Prestwick Golf Club.
Willie Park Sr. won the inaugural Open Championship over 36 holes at Prestwick, beating Old Tom Morris by two strokes for the Challenge Belt.
Young Tom Morris won the first of four straight Opens at 17, the youngest major champion in history.
Young Tom Morris won his third consecutive Open and kept the Challenge Belt outright, prompting the creation of the Claret Jug.
Prestwick hosted The Open for the 24th and last time; the unruly crowds of the era led the championship to move to roomier venues.
Prestwick Golf Club hosted the very first Open Championship in 1860 and is regarded as the birthplace of major championship golf.
Prestwick staged The Open 24 times between 1860 and 1925, second only to St Andrews among Open venues.
Old Tom Morris laid out the original links in 1851; the course has since been extended from its first 12-hole configuration.