Royal Troon – The oldest major championship in golf is returning to the seaside town of Troon on the western coast of Scotland for the 10th time. The Royal Troon Golf Club, located roughly 30 miles southwest of Glasgow in the South Ayrshire region, will host the 152nd Open Championship.
Known as one of Scotland’s greatest links courses, it will offer a challenging test from tee to green. The last time the Open Championship was held here was in 2016 when Henrik Stenson triumphed over Phil Mickelson in an impressive finish. Stenson’s final round score of 63 matched a major record set by Johnny Miller, and he won by three strokes, leaving Mickelson in second place, with no one else coming closer than 11 strokes. This time around, the par-71 layout has been extended to 7,385 yards, making it nearly 200 yards longer than it was eight years ago.
Royal Troon
Troon’s design follows the traditional out-and-back layout of the Old Course at St Andrews. The course starts with a relatively gentle opening through some of the most breathtaking links terrain found at any Open venue. The front nine usually plays downwind and offers numerous birdie opportunities. However, the back nine, which is mostly played into the wind, is famously challenging and is considered one of the toughest finishes in the world.
Royal Troon’s par-71 layout is expected to measure close to 7,400 yards this week from its farthest tees, which is an increase of 195 yards from the course’s most recent Open in 2016. Despite appearing as a mostly benign links course, regular players have emphasized that mastering its infinite complexities can take a lifetime. The course does not favor any specific style of play, and as golf commentator Iona Stephen observed, “Success here isn’t always about what you can do but often about what you mustn’t do.”
Royal Troon – Winning Formula
Success at Royal Troon depends heavily on positioning the ball in the fairway and keeping it in play off the tee. The club’s motto is “As much by skill as by strength.” Missing the fairways comes with a high penalty, so using the driver involves significant risk. Windy conditions can cause shots with excessive height and spin to end up in the deep, foot-long fescue rough. Similarly, low-binding shots that run through the fairway due to a poor tee shot angle can yield the same result. Fairway bunkers pose a significant challenge on the course, often resulting in a one-stroke penalty. They are strategically placed in the landing area, highlighting the importance of strategy and accuracy off the tee.
Due to warmer and wetter conditions in the last couple of months, the rough will be thicker than in 2016, placing even more emphasis on fairway accuracy off the tee. In ad👍dition to the rough and 101 total bunkers, there are many high gorse, hillocks, and other mounds to contend with after hitting errant shots. Whether off the tee or on approach, the bunker placement is incredibly strategic and will require golfers to consider club selection on almost every hole carefully.
Royal Troon is quite different from St. Andrews, especially when it comes to the fairways. The fairways are narrow, with pot bunkers strategically placed around the landing areas. The rolling terrain can also funnel balls into these bunkers, making the landing areas seem larger than they actually are. During the 2016 Open, both Stenson and Mickelson often used 3-wood o꧃r iron off the tee on driving holes.
The small greens and challenging conditions make approaching the targets difficult, even with a wedge. Precise accuracy will be crucial in these conditions. The par 5s are particularly well-defended, with revetted 🎉bunkers at the front of the greens and deeღp bunkers protecting the sides of other greens.
The greens are a mix of native bentgrass and poa annua and are smaller compared to other courses in the Open rotation, averaging only 4,500 square feet per hole. Troon’s greens are typically narrower in front and wider in the rear. Even when the pins are placed closer to the front, it’s often better to use an extra club and aim toward the center. Although the putting surfaces are not as undulating as others, they have subtle movement and, under firm conditions, can be tricky to manage. Due to the coastal winds, the greens usually run quite slow, between 9.5 and 10.5 on the stimpmeter.
Rain and gusty winds are expected for Thursday’s opening round, and gusty conditions could continue into the weekend. Those who can effectively navigate the varying elements on the Ayrshire coast will have an advantage and may find themselves at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday evening.
