Prestwick St. Nicholas
This short, tight links course has an abundance of whin and heather. On a fine day, views of the Isle of Arran can be had from nearly all points on the course. Don't be fooled by the scorecard yardage: This course plays longer than it seems.
Course description: The first twelve holes play along the beach and into the prevailing wind, which can make for a bit of a slog despite the short yardage. The narrow fairways require precise positioning, and the rough is punishing. An old water-filled quarry comes into play on the seventh and eighth holes.
Year opened: 1851
Par: 69 (5,952 yards)
Signature hole: The par-four seventh, a dogleg right measuring 454 yards from the back tee, winds around the water hazard.
How to get a tee time: You must book in advance, and a letter of introduction is helpful. The public is welcome anytime but Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Contact: Club Secretary Graham Thomson, Prestwick St. Nicholas Golf Club, Grangemuir Road, Prestwick, Scotland KA9 lSW
Phone: 01144-1292-477608
Pro: None
Rentals: Pull-carts. Clubs can be arranged with advance notice.
Carts: None
Caddies: They will come over from Prestwick with advance notice.
Dress Code: Coat and tie are required in the dining room and lounge.
Directions from Troon: Take A759 for 1.6 miles, turn right onto B746. Go one mile and turn right onto A78. Go just under a mile and turn right onto A79. Go 2.1 miles and turn left into Prestwick.
Shiskine
An hour's ferry ride from Ardrossan takes you to the Isle of Arran, which boasts seven lovely courses. Though it has only twelve holes, Shiskine is by common consent the most wonderful of the group, and it has turned up more than once on lists of the world's best one hundred courses. A classic links layout, Shiskine offers spectacular views west across Kilbrannan Sound to the Kintyre peninsula. During the height of the Cold War, it was a good place to watch U.S. and British submarines returning from patrol.
Course description: The views, excellent fairways and great greens make this century-old course. Authentic links course need not be perfectly manicured, and Shiskine isn't. Seven out of the twelve holes are blind, but the line of play is well marked. The tenth hole is called Paradise, and it could not be more aptly named: No matter which way you turn, the view is spectacular. The setting of its tees can make for a lovely golf shot, too. From a hundred yards up, the ball flies over a splash of gorse bushes, misses the burn, splits the four bunkers and lands right in the middle of the green. At least on a good day that's what it does.
Year opened: 1896
Par: 42 (3,004 yards)
Signature hole: The 125-yard par-three third has a green so sharply elevated that the tee shot is blind (the hole is aptly titled the Crow's Nest). It's an easy wedge on calm days, but when the wind blows in, even o well-hit wood can have a hard time getting there.
How to get a tee time: Visitors are welcome at all times, but be sure to contact the club in advance.
Contact: Shiskine Golf & Tennis Club, Blackwaterfoot, Brodick, Isle of Arran, Scotland KA27 8HE
Phone: 01144-1770-860226
Pro: None
Rentals: Clubs and pull-carts
Carts: One (!)
Caddies: Junior members are available with advance notice.
Dress Code: In the small lounge and tearoom, golf attire is fine.
Directions from Troon: After you get off the ferry, head north on A841 for about ten miles. The course is located three hundred yards off A841 in Blackwaterfoot.
Good local pub: The Kinloch Hotel, which is in Blackwaterfoot and about a five minute walk away, is a gathering place for local farmers and fishermen as well as golfers, and a great place for a post-round drink.
Bogside
Between Irvine and Kilwinning on the coast, this Open Championship qualifying course was designed by James Braid. All links courses have dips and hollows that can kick the ball off the short grass, but at Bogside this trait is pronounced and can be maddening for first-time players.
Course description: A links course with heavy heather, Irvine puts a premium an accuracy off the tee. Local knowledge helps a lot, and position, not length, is key.
Year opened: 1887
Par: 71 (6,408)
Signature hole: The par-four sixth requires a good drive to reach the top of a hill, from which an accurate second shot has to be played to the green. A river to the left of the green brings danger, and though a pot bunker on the left side can catch errant approach shots before they reach it, the bunker itself is big trouble.
How to get a tee time: Open daily to visitors, though the club prefers a phone call in advance.
Contact: Mc Andrew Morton, Irvine G.C., Bogside, Irvine, Scotland KA12 8SN
Phone: 01144-1294-275979
Pro: Keith Erskine
Rentals: Clubs and pull-carts
Carts: None
Caddies: Available with advance notice.
Of note: The oak-paneled clubhouse looks like a men's smoking club, a fine place to retire after a wearying round.
Dress Code: All visitors have access to dining facilities. Coat and tie are required in the dining room only.
Directions from Troon: From the center of Troon, proceed on B746 for 1.S miles, then turn left onto A759. Go a half mile, then left onto A78. Go about nine miles, pass through Irvine and turn left at A737. Go one mile and turn right onto Sandy Road. The course is straight ahead.
Good local pub: The nearby Sun Inn dates back to 1759, which makes it the oldest in town and one of the oldest in Scotland.
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