Royal Troon golf guide: the Postage Stamp & the Open
The 10-time Open venue on the Ayrshire coast, home of the tiny 'Postage Stamp' 8th. How visitors play the Old Course, the handicap rules, when to go, and the Ayrshire links cluster around it.
Royal Troon is one of the great Ayrshire links and a 10-time host of The Open — most recently in 2024, when Xander Schauffele lifted the Claret Jug. Founded in 1878 on the duneland beside the Firth of Clyde, its Old Course runs out downwind along the shore and turns for a brutal, wind-lashed inward nine, and it holds the shortest hole in Open golf: the tiny, terrifying 'Postage Stamp' 8th.
Troon is a private members' club with limited visitor tee times, and it sits at the centre of the densest cluster of great links in Scotland. Here's how visitors play the Old Course, the rules and season, and how to build an Ayrshire trip around it.
Where
Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland (on the Firth of Clyde)
Courses
The Old Course (Championship) + the Portland Course
Charles Hunter, later Willie Fernie & James Braid · 1878 (Royal 1978) · 18 holes · Links · par 71
10-time Open Championship venue; world top-100 links
Troon began in 1878 as a handful of holes on farmland, grew to 18 under club professional George Strath, and took its modern shape through Willie Fernie's routing around 1910 and James Braid's lengthening ahead of the first Open in 1923. The outward nine runs downwind along the beach; the course then turns for a long, exposed, into-the-wind homeward stretch that has decided Opens.
The signature is the par-3 8th, the 'Postage Stamp' — at around 123 yards the shortest hole in Open Championship golf, its minuscule green skimmed into the dunes and ringed by five bunkers (the deep left one nicknamed 'the Coffin'). Gene Sarazen famously aced it aged 71 in 1973. Small target, big trouble — it's the most photographed hole in Scotland for a reason.
The Portland Course
Willie Fernie, later Alister MacKenzie · 1895 · 18 holes · Links · par 71
The club's second 18 — shorter, more sheltered and more forgiving than the Old, laid out by Willie Fernie in 1895 and redeveloped by Alister MacKenzie in 1921. It's a genuinely good companion round and the natural second day of a Troon visit.
How visitors play Royal Troon (and the handicap rules)
Royal Troon is a private members' club with limited visitor tee times, published for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays across a visitor season that runs roughly mid-April to October. Handicap limits apply (around 20 for men, 30 for ladies), and a certificate may be requested. Book well ahead — some tee times aren't in the online system, so calling or emailing the club is often the way in, and cancellation terms tighten sharply inside 90 days.
Caddies are available and add a lot on a first visit — the blind lines, the wind reads and the Postage Stamp all reward local knowledge. The dress code is traditional (no denim, tracksuits, t-shirts or trainers on the course). Confirm the current visitor days, rules and green fees directly with the club before you travel.
May to September gives the mildest weather and the longest daylight on the Ayrshire coast. Wind can blow at any time of year — it's the defining feature of the inward nine — so plan for weather rather than expecting a still day.
Getting there
Troon is unusually easy to reach: Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) is minutes away in neighbouring Prestwick, and Glasgow Airport (GLA) is about a 45-minute drive. Troon station is a short hop from the club, and it's roughly 40 minutes from Glasgow by car on the A77/A78.
How to play it
Troon is the ideal base for the Ayrshire links cluster — one of the densest concentrations of great links anywhere. Next door is Prestwick, the birthplace of The Open; a short drive south is Turnberry and its Ailsa course; and Western Gailes and Dundonald Links are close by. Three or four days here strings together more Open history than almost anywhere, and it pairs naturally with a St Andrews leg on the other coast.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Ayrshire links golf is cool, breezy and often wet, with a long walk into the wind on the back nine — a proper Scottish weather kit matters more than anything else:
Yes. It's a private members' club with limited visitor tee times, published for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays across a season that runs roughly mid-April to October. Book well ahead — some times aren't in the online system, so calling or emailing the club is often the way in.
Do you need a handicap to play Royal Troon?
Yes. Handicap limits apply — around 20 for men and 30 for ladies — and a certificate may be requested. Confirm the current requirement with the club when you book.
What is the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon?
It's the par-3 8th, at around 123 yards the shortest hole in Open Championship golf. Its tiny green is skimmed into the dunes and ringed by five bunkers, including a deep one nicknamed 'the Coffin'. Gene Sarazen famously holed in one there aged 71 in 1973.
How many Opens has Royal Troon hosted?
Ten men's Opens, from 1923 to 2024. Recent editions include Henrik Stenson's 2016 duel with Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele's win in 2024.
How do you get to Royal Troon?
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is minutes away in neighbouring Prestwick, and Glasgow Airport is about 45 minutes by car. Troon station is a short hop from the club, roughly 40 minutes from Glasgow on the A77/A78.
