I used to be a member of Royal Troon for 18 years and this is my review of this Open Championship course.
I’ve written this from the perspective of a 4 handicap golfer (as I was at the time) and from the white medal tees.
The course the pros play in the Open are the blue tees; and that version of the course is a beast.
Background to Royal Troon Golf Club
After a meeting in the pub, Troon was founded in 1878.
James Braid modified the layout after it was designed by George Strath.
In 1923, Royal Troon hosted The Open for the first time, and in 2016 it hosted the winner, Henrik Stenson, for the ninth time.
Royal Troon is no longer shadowed by Old Prestwick, which hosted 23 Open Championships.
Troon received Royal status in 1978 and is a traditional out and in golf course.
The inward nine is often playing into the wind, so make your score on the inward nine.
The 6th is the longest par 5 in Open Championship golf and the 8th The Postage Stamp is the shortest at 123 yards.
Royal Troon is ranked 25th in the U.K and 77th in the world.
1st Hole : Seal – Par 4
An easy open hole if the wind is coming from the west or behind.
Keep your drive short of the bunkers on the left side of the fairway to give you a short iron into a green tightly guarded with bunkers.
Ladies (Red Tees)
346 yards
Yellow Tees
348 yards
White Tees
357 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
370 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
16
2nd Hole : Black Rock – Par 4
The tee shot brings the sea and trouble down the right of the fairway into play.
Aim for the church steeple with your driver in the distance.
Ideally you want to aim left of centre whilst avoiding the left fairway bunkers.
Another short iron into a well guarded green.
Ladies (Red Tees)
365 yards
Yellow Tees
369 yards
White Tees
381 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
391 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
7
3rd Hole : Gyaws – Par 4
For the long hitters or when the hole is played downwind there is burn running across the fairway at the 290 yard mark.
There are 2 bunkers down the left hand side of the fairway that will catch those playing safe or drawing their tee shot.
Your second short should be a mid to short iron into a tightly guarded green.
This is a large green so consult your caddy for yardage or play one club longer than you think to avoid the greenside bunkers.
Ladies (Red Tees)
360 yards
Yellow Tees
366 yards
White Tees
371 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
379 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
11
4th Hole : Dunure – Par 5
The first of 3 par 5’s at Royal Troon is a dog legged hole to the right.
There are 2 bunkers to the left side of the fairway and one huge bunker to the right that will catch the most sliced or pushed drives.
The fairway looks extremely narrow from the tee and forces you to aim at the bunkers on the left and “pray”.
If you manage to find the fairway from the tee you are left with a straight view of the green.
For the big hitters the green is reachable with a fairway wood or long iron when the wind is helpingl.
For most of us, a fairway wood shot faces bunkers down the left of the fairway and hills with severe rough if you miss right.
The 3rd shot should be a short iron into a large 2 tiered green with 2 bunkers at the front and a large drop behind the green.
Ladies (Red Tees)
476 yards
Yellow Tees
476 yards
White Tees
522 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
555 yards
Par
5
Stroke Index
4
5th Hole : Greenan – Par 3
The 5th hole at Royal Troon is the first of the 4 par 3’s on the course.
From the yellow, white and blue tees this hole typically requires a long iron or utility wood.
There are 3 large bunkers that guard a big hitting surface.
There is no Scottish ‘run up’ to this hole.
To make the green you have to carry the ball 95% of the hole length.
Jack Nicklaus once advised the best way to play the 5th hole was to play for the back or over the green as the trouble lies at the front.
Walking off the 5th green with a par 3 is a good result.
Ladies (Red Tees)
134 yards
Yellow Tees
183 yards
White Tees
194 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
210 yards
Par
3
Stroke Index
14
6th Hole : Turnberry – Par 5
With a handicap stroke index of 2 and once regarded at the longest hole in Open Championship golf, the 6th hole is the second of the 3 par 5’s.
The hole is straight but not so straightforward.
There are 2 bunkers on the left and one on the right positioned to catch the drawn or faded drive.
A good fairway wood still leaves a mid to short iron for most handicap golfers.
The big hitters downwind could easily catch the 2 bunkers that are 40 yards short of the green.
The 3rd short is played into a large narrow green.
Pull your approach shot and you can land in the left bunker or down a steep hill.
Push your approach slightly right and your ball rolls off the green into a small gulley.
Ladies (Red Tees)
508 yards
Yellow Tees
518 yards
White Tees
544 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
601 yards
Par
5
Stroke Index
2
7th Hole : Tel-El-Kebir – Par 4
For the 7th hole we change direction and turn east and play from a highly elevated tee looking down towards the fairway and green.
The fairway dog legs right with a large bunker situated behind a sandhill on the right and a line of 3 bunkers guarded the left side of the fairway.
Push your drive right and you catch the bunker or your view for your second shot to the green is blocked.
Draw or pull your drive and you risk catching the 3 bunkers down the left.
Members try and play toward the left side of the fairway as this provides the best view of the green.
Your second shot will be a mid to short iron over a gully just short of the green and 2 severely steep bunkers facing you.
The 7th green is one of the most difficult greens on the course to read.
It’s a fast putt from back to front and has borrows coming from both the left and right side.
A few steps off the green, up the hill and you arrive at the world famous 8th hole.
Ladies (Red Tees)
348 yards
Yellow Tees
354 yards
White Tees
381 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
405 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
9
8th Hole : Postage Stamp – Par 3
The Postage Stamp at Royal Troon is regarded as the second most famous hole in golf.
At 123 yards in length the hole is very short but also very dangerous.
The tee shot is played from higher ground looking down to a long narrow green below.
There is a bunker short of the green, the coffin bunker to the left and 2 bunkers to the right of the green.
A pulled or drawn tee shot will find a very steep coffin bunker on the left that is difficult to recover from.
Even if you manage to get out of the coffin bunker in one shot your next challenge is prevent your bunker shot running off around the other side of the green into their right hand side bunkers.
Even a well executed tee shot can roll off the right of the green down into 2 deep bunkers with vertical faces.
The bunkers on the right are about 10 feet below the level of the green making these bunkers shots the hardest you’ll ever face.
Downwind the Postage Stamp may only be a sand wedge or wedge.
Into the wind, the hole can play up to a 5 or 6 iron.
Good luck, best wishes.
Ladies (Red Tees)
118 yards
Yellow Tees
114 yards
White Tees
123 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
123 yards
Par
3
Stroke Index
18
9th Hole : The Monk – Par 4
The closing hole of the ‘easier’ 9 at Royal Troon, The Monk is a slight dog leg to the left.
Your drive should be down the left hand side of the fairway; but short of the 2 large bunkers in the middle of the fairway.
There’s a lot more space down the left hand side than you can see.
The longer hitter may hit a long iron or utility wood with a draw and be safely short of the bunkers.
A mid iron shot over a narrow hilly fairway into a new upward sloping green.
Beware of the danger to the right of the green.
There’s a line of bushes that can easily catch a pushed approach shot.
Walking off the 9th green with a par 4 is a result.
Homeward bound and onto the toughest 9 holes in Open Championship Golf.
Ladies (Red Tees)
370 yards
Yellow Tees
375 yards
White Tees
387 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
422 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
5
10th Hole : Sandhills – Par 4
Do not let the stroke index of the 10th hole deceive; this is a tough hole to start the back 9.
Normally the wind will blow left to right off the tee.
Most golfers play the yellow or white tees to a fairly wide fairway.
There are no bunkers on this hole but deep rough to the left and a hill and gorse to the right off the tee.
The ideal tee shot is to aim down the left side and let the wind bring the ball back to the centre of the fairway.
Most golfers will be left with a mid to long iron or utility wood approach shot to the green.
There is a plateaued green and you do not want to miss right.
There’s a sharp drop off the right side of the green with a 10% chance of a chip and putt for par.
The safe second shot is to play to the left hand side of the green; short and short left gives you a chance of a pitch or putter from off the green to save par.
Ladies (Red Tees)
360 yards
Yellow Tees
367 yards
White Tees
385 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
452 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
10
11th Hole : The Railway – Par 4
The hardest hole on Royal Troon named after the railway line that runs the full length of the hole.
Our advice would be to play the 11th like a par 5.
It’s a long par 4 with trouble off the tee and trouble with your second shot.
The white and yellow teeing area is normally to the left of the 10th green.
You tee from a higher ground facing the railway line with gorse to the left and gorse out of bounds to the right.
You simply have to hit your best and straightest drive to catch the fairway.
Long hitters may want to consider a utility wood from the tee as a long drive can run out of fairway or go out of bounds to the right if pushed or sliced.
If you do hit the fairway you are faced with a long second shot with the railway line and out of bounds just yards from the right edge of the green.
The safe second shot is to play left but the hole’s solo bunker could grab a pulled or drawn shot.
Ladies (Red Tees)
417 yards
Yellow Tees
357 yards
White Tees
421 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
483 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
1
12th Hole : The Fox – Par 4
We turn south from the last time at the 12th hole.
The 12th hole is a long slight dog-leg to the right.
Drive down the left of centre over the brow of the hill with a long long narrow green in the distance.
You will still have a long second shot with a mid to long iron or utility wood.
There’s a 2 tiered green with bunkers left and right short of the green.
Even a good approach shot can run off either side of the green into 2 gullies.
Mark Calcavecchia famously chipped his 3rd shot straight into the hole from the left gorse en route to becoming Open Champion in 1989.
Ladies (Red Tees)
368 yards
Yellow Tees
377 yards
White Tees
427 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
429 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
6
13th Hole : Burmah – Par 4
You turn and face north and it’s 6 homeward bound holes towards the club house.
At the 13th hole you drive down the left hand side of an undulating fairway.
A drive down the right blocks your sight of the green.
You play your second shot into a very large elevated green.
Miss left and long and you’re faced with a difficult chip shot back up to the green.
Miss short you can putt off the green to the hole or miss right and have an easy chip shot.
Ladies (Red Tees)
377 yards
Yellow Tees
382 yards
White Tees
411 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
472 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
12
14th Hole : Alton – Par 3
The 3rd of the 4 par 3’s at Royal Troon is a medium to long iron shot or sometimes a utility wood depending on your distance or the wind direction.
The green is heavily guarded with 2 deep bunkers on the right and one of the left.
Like the 5th hole, it’s better to take one club more and be long rather than short at the 14th.
Ladies (Red Tees)
171 yards
Yellow Tees
167 yards
White Tees
175 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
178 yards
Par
3
Stroke Index
15
15th Hole : Crosbie – Par 4
The 3rd hardest hole on the course.
The 15th hole was re-designed for the 2016 Open Championship.
A long drive is required to miss bunkers on either side of the fairway.
A second shot from a undulating and hilly fairway into a green hidden resting in a hollow.
You may recall Henrik Stenson’s monster putt across the full length of this green en-route to becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year in 2016.
Walking off the 15th hole with a 5 is never a bad score for amateur golfers.
Ladies (Red Tees)
398 yards
Yellow Tees
402 yards
White Tees
436 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
502 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
3
16th Hole : Well – Par 5
The 16th is the last par 5 on the course and realistically your best birdie opportunity on the back nine.
Most amateur golfers can hit a driver from the tee but beware of the burn at the 280-300 yard point.
The second shot is a difficult shot with bunkers down the left and a bunker on the right hand side of the fairway.
Your second shot, generally with a fairway wood or long iron, has to be very accurate to miss those bunkers and give yourself a good angle for your 3rd shot.
Ideally you want your 2nd shot to be from the left side of the fairway giving you a straight line to the flag taking the greenside bunkers out of play.
Ladies (Red Tees)
495 yards
Yellow Tees
504 yards
White Tees
533 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
533 yards
Par
5
Stroke Index
8
17th Hole : Rabbit – Par 3
The 17th hole is a long and difficult par 3; especially when you need a good finish for a good score.
Depending on the wind, you will either hit your longest irons, a wood or even your driver.
There is a plateau green that falls away steeply on both sides down into bunkers or gullies.
If you are going to miss this green then miss it short or long to give yourself the best chance of saving par.
Ladies (Red Tees)
166 yards
Yellow Tees
167 yards
White Tees
210 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
218 yards
Par
3
Stroke Index
13
18th Hole : Craigend – Par 4
The 18th may be stroke index 17 but don’t let that mislead you.
The ideal drive is to aim at the club house flagpole and hit it down the left centre and avoid the 2 bunkers on the left and come up short of the bunker on the right.
You don’t want to power a driver down 18 and end up in the right bunker like Greg Norman in 1989.
You will be left with a mid to short iron for your approach to 18.
Bear in mind the 18th green is 25% longer than every other green; so ask your caddy or check your stroke saver for the distance to the flag.
Your second shot will appear shorter than it really it.
Bunkers left and right and out of bounds over the green await your walk down a memorable round of Open Championship golf.
Make sure you take plenty of selfies and group photographs on the 18th green next to the flag with the club house in the background.
These will be memories to savour and share for years to come.
Ladies (Red Tees)
331 yards
Yellow Tees
344 yards
White Tees
374 yards
Championship (Blue) Tees
464 yards
Par
4
Stroke Index
17
Clubhouse & Facilities
A large car park outside Royal Troon leading directly to the front of the club house.
Caddies, Carts, Trolleys
There are trolley and cart facilities as well as many knowledgeable caddies.
Anytime I took friends who hired a caddy they paid them around £50 plus tips.
Travelling to Royal Troon
Royal Troon is a 10 minute car journey from Prestwick Airport and about a 50 minute drive from Glasgow Airport.