Royal Troon Golf Club Course Tour Photos

Founded in 1878, Royal Troon has hosted eight previous Opens. Curiously, the last six -- including in 2004 by journeyman Todd Hamilton -- have been won by Americans. Bordering on the Firth of Clyde to the southwest of Glasgow, Troon will feature both the longest (the par-5 sixth at 601 yards) and the shortest (the par-3 eighth at 123 yards) holes in the Open rota.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Seal

Hole 1 / Par 4 / 367 Yards
The straight forward par 4 is a nice way to ease into your round. Five bunkers guard the slightly elevated green, which has a narrow opening for those who, under favorable conditions, might give it a go off the tee.

Black Rock

Hole 2 / Par 4 / 390 Yards
The hole gets its name from a reef to the right of the green and the third tee.

Gyaws

Hole 3 / Par 4 / 377 Yards
A burn runs through the fairway roughly 280 yards off the tee, making driver a risky play. The green is unique in that is slopes away toward the back to make approach shots tricky.

Dunure

Hole 4 / Par 5 / 555 Yards
In 2004, Gary Evans made an albatross, the first in Open history at Troon. The dogleg right hole, with a downwind breeze, is easily reachable in 2.

Greenan

Hole 5 / Par 3 / 209 Yards
The stingy par 3 was the eighth toughest hole at Troon during the 2004 Open. Greenside bunkers left and front make tee shots short of the green pay a steep price.

Turnberry

Hole 6 / Par 5 / 601 Yards
This hole isn't just long, but the fairway is particularly narrow. There's also a long, narrow green. Still, there are birdies to be made on this, the second of Troon's three par 5s.

Tel-El-Kebir

Hole 7 / Par 4 / 401 Yards
With an elevated tee looking at the dogleg-right design, this is the first hole at Troon that isn't played along the coast. The hole gets its name from an Egyptian battle in 1882, which happened shortly after the original six holes at Troon had been extended.

Postage Stamp

Hole 8 / Par 3 / 123 Yards
Sure it's the shortest hole in the Open rota, but the green is also tiny and missing it creates problems. German amateur Herman Tissies made a 15 on the hole in the 1950 Open and, famously, 71-year-old Gene Sarazen made an ace here in the 1973 Open.

The Monk

Hole 9 / Par 4 / 422 Yards
With a narrow undulating fairway guarded on both sides by thick rough, this hole was the fifth toughest in 2004.

Sandhills

Hole 10 / Par 4 / 451 Yards
Like the 14th at Augusta National, there are no bunkers on the 10th at Troon. Still, after making the turn, if the prevailing wind is blowing, you'll be playing straight into it, making this one the tough start to an extremely challenging back nine.

The Railway

Hole 11 / Par 4 / 482 Yards
Previously a par 5, this hole was modestly shorten prior to the 1997 Open, when it quickly became the most difficult on the course. A four-foot tall stone wall down the right side beside the railway is OB with gorse on the left becoming the penalty for a hooked drive.

The Fox

Hole 12 / Par 4 / 430 Yards
Foxes used to inhabit a nearby wooded area, hence the name. The approach is played to a raised, two-tier green with a roll-off bank to the left and bunker to the right.

Burmah

Hole 13 / Par 4 / 473 Yards
Another dogleg right, this time into the prevailing wind. Also, another hole with no bunkers.

Alton

Hole 14 / Par 3 / 178 Yards
Center of the green is all you're really looking for on this par 3, which can play from 7-iron to 3-iron, depending on the wind.

Crosbie

Hole 15 / Par 4 / 499 Yards
The hole has been stretched by 16 yards from 2004, making it the longest par 4 on the course (and 42 yards longer than in 1997). Players have a slightly blind tee shot with the green resting in a hollow.

Well

Hole 16 / Par 5 / 554 Yards
The burn that ran through the third hole also cuts through the fairway on the 16th. Unless conditions are helping, most players will not try to carry the burn off the tee; in 1997 Tiger Woods went 3-iron/driver to set up an eagle.

Rabbit

Hole 17 / Par 3 / 220 Yards
Another challenging par 3, where the green runs off sharply both left and right.

Craigend

Hole 18 / Par 4 / 458 Yards
The closing hole has the longest green on the course (38 yards) with out of bounds just beyond it, making the approach shot tricky from anywhere off the fairway if the hole is toward the back of the green.