Royal Troon countdown: 13 days to go

6th, Turnberry – 601 yards, par 5

For a long time the longest hole on The Open rota (giving Royal Troon the longest and shortest holes), the second par 5 measures over 600 yards. A tough par 5 but a hole which used to be even tougher when the green was located well to the left of the existing green involving a long and blind carry for the approach shot.

The green was changed after Arnold Palmer’s 1962 Open to facilitate crowd movement between the 6th and 12th holes. Consideration was given to restoring the old hole but it was thought to be too tough for both The Open and general play!

The two tees furthest back have been made larger and the green surrounds have been softened to the right and rear of the green. A large area of invasive sea buckthorn has been removed from beyond the hole which reveals beautiful views of the sea from behind the green and the main 7th tee.

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The hole name… (Turnberry)

The point at Turnberry can be seen from Troon. The lighthouse marks the site of Turnberry Castle, the childhood home of the Bruce.

Hole changes

The two tees furthest back have been made larger
Green surrounds softened in contour to the right and rear of the green
Sea buckthorn removed behind the green

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Architect Martin Ebert explains..

“There was almost a move to restore this hole back to the one that Palmer played in 1962 with two 1-irons. Peter Dawson remembered playing it. It would have been a big restoration project and would have been tough hole for the members.

“We had cleared all the buckthorn from behind the hole anyway and then Andrew Cotter asked why we didn’t just push the green back towards the beach.

“We thought, ‘why didn’t we think of that’? We drew up plans and pondered it for this Open but the timing was probably a bit tight. It is one for the future as this green is a little disappointing in terms of its character, and the shapes within it. The backdrop is so nice now that you see the hills – and its namesake – rather than the buckthorn.”

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Tom Irwin

Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.