Royal Troon

Like the champions who have achieved glory here, the course at Royal Troon is a mixed bag of stern, yet relatively featureless, holes paired with a few outstanding highlights along the way. After a rather gentle opening, we arrive to one of the most famous holes in the world of golf. It also happens to be the shortest hole played in The Open - the famed Postage Stamp. This devilish par-3 can wreck the best of scorecards, although not that anyone told Gene Sarazen. In the 1973 Open, he made an ace in the first round at the age of 71. Just for good measure, he followed that up the next day by holing out for a deuce from a greenside bunker. Not bad for a guy who played in the first Open at Troon some 50 years earlier.

Ahead on the 11th, we find another of the memorable holes at Troon - the fierce par-4 known as “Railway.” The fairway here is hidden off the tee and tucked between a row of impenetrable gorse and the railway line which, of course, is out of bounds. It will be no surprise that the 11th has consistently played as the most difficult on the course when The Open comes to Royal Troon and will likely do so again when the Claret Jug returns in 2024. It also marks the beginning of the inward slog against the prevailing wind, which is often simply endured rather than enjoyed.

Simply put, Royal Troon is something of a paradox. The course is a brilliant test for awarding the Claret Jug, but the lack of exhilarating holes and scenic vistas sometimes leaves the rest of us underwhelmed. And yet, to miss the history here, say nothing of the infamous Postage Stamp, would be a great disservice to the traveling golfer.