Royal Troon - Old (Photos)

[Evan_Green]

#7-12 at Troon must be one of the best consecutive strings of 7 holes in golf. The other holes are good as well, but #7-12 are truly world class. Visiting the club is a great experience as well. The "free" round on the Portland Course and lunch are quite memorable.

These are not the greatest pictures I have ever taken, but the day I was there it was dark and stormy, thus it was hard to get good light. In any case, here goes...


You know you're in for a tough day of golf when you look West towards the sea on the 1st hole and see a sky like this...


#2. The beginning and end of the course are quite flat in contrast with the middle holes.


#2 Green


Long par 5, #6

Now for the filet mignon:


Tee shot at #7


A view from #7 of the Postage Stamp.


Yet another vew of the Postage Stamp from #7


2nd Shot on #7, a terrific par 4.


The superb green complex on #7


The Postage Stamp #8. It's unbelievable how small the green is in person.


If you pull your tee shot left, this is what you are faced with...


This is what you are faced with if you miss right.


Front right bunker


#9 tee shot.


#9 second shot


#9 green


Tiger Tee on #10. Completely blind from this tee.


The Civilian tees on #10 over to the right. From here you can see the hole.


From the 10th Fairway. Notice the wonderful movement.


10th Green


#11, a short par 4 featuring the railroad on the right side.


Second shot on #11. You can see the train cables on the right.


From behind the 11th Green.


Tee shot on #12.


12th Fairway.


From behind the 12th Green


I think this is #13. Notice the rumpled fairway.


2nd Shot on the Home Hole.


Its unbelievable how close the back of the 18th green is to the clubhouse.


Of course the sun came out when we finished. This is taken from the Marine Hotel about a half hour after we finished.


Another shot from the Hotel.

Overall Royal Troon is a wonderful course and a true "championship" layout. The middle of the course really stands out. I could spend the whole days playing those holes over and over again. I just hope the weather is better next time  

[Jason McNamara]

...
Visiting the club is a great experience as well. The "free" round on the Portland Course and lunch are quite memorable.

Evan -

Many skip the Portland round, as I understand it, but obviously you like it.  Since I've never been to Troon, I'd enjoy hearing more from you as one who can present the 'pro' argument re the Portland Course.

Thanks for the pics,

Jason

[Evan_Green]

Jason-

Well one solid reason to play the Portland is that you are paying for it anyway, so why not play it? Might as well get your $400   worth  

Of the 4 guys in our group, two skipped the morning round, but me and the other guy really enjoyed our round and had an epic match. This would be a good opportunity to play an alternate shot match or something else fun.

But seriously its a fun course and a good warmup for the Old. MacKenzie did some work on this course. Its pretty flat overall, but has some interesting greens.

Here are a few pics I took. Once again, lighting was bad that day...








This is a neat par 3.

[Mike Benham]

Evan -

What time of the year did you visit, it looks awfully brown, and firm and fast ...

Mike

[Evan_Green]

Evan -

What time of the year did you visit, it looks awfully brown, and firm and fast ...

Mike

Mike

We went first week of August. Conditions were definately fast and firm, but a little less so on this particular day because of the rain. A couple of days before this round, Western Gailes was so fast and firm I didnt hit more than 2 or 3 woods the whole day.

When did you go? What was the turf like then?

Evan

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I particularly like the short holes on the Portland.  There are some nice two-shotters, too, such as the 2nd, but there are also a few bland holes.  Has anyone played the municipal courses at Troon?

[David Sneddon]

If you look at the pic of the 7th green complex and #12 green, you will see two houses way up the hill.  The white house, on the left, is owned by my old High-School girlfriend and her husband.

I've stayed there several times on trips to Scotland, but crime of crimes, never had the time to play Troon again.

[Chris Moore]

I share your fondness for Royal Troon and Troon Portland.  Why Troon seems to be considered the weakest of the rota courses is mysterious to me.  Those tee shots and green complexes on 7, 8, and 10 are unique and really stand out in my memory from our trip three years ago.  Is it the relative flatness of the terrain that keeps Troon from being considered "great?"

[Doug Siebert]

Brings back some good memories from when I played there in '91, thanks for posting those pics!

I liked the Portland, dunno why so many are down on it.  Really liked the Marine Highland Hotel, that's definitely a cool place to stay in town, though I remember my dad complaining more than usual about how much it cost and I'm sure its way higher 15 years later.

And yeah, that 18th green is close.  It was kind of cool though when I played there I hit my second into a little pot bunker on the right that wasn't that far from the clubhouse.  I could see that I had an audience inside, but I handled the pressure and hit a really nifty blast to about a foot that got them to stand and clap.  That kind of thing can only happen in those courses where the clubhouse is right next to the green.  OK, in the US CCFADs they'll usually have a balcony that can see the 18th green from a distance, and you'll hear a few drunks hooting "you da man" if you hit a great shot (or a bad one, or a practice swing) but it just isn't quite the same as being applauded by men in jackets and ties

[Jay Cox]

#7-12 at Troon must be one of the best consecutive strings of 7 holes in golf.

Evan,
I think your commentary on Troon is spot on, and the pictures brilliant to boot.  But I will take issue with your math

Jay

[Evan_Green]

#7-12 at Troon must be one of the best consecutive strings of 7 holes in golf.

Evan,
I think your commentary on Troon is spot on, and the pictures brilliant to boot.  But I will take issue with your math

Jay

Jay

Lets make that "one of the best consecutive strings of 6 holes in golf"  

Its a good thing I dont do my own taxes  
Evan

[Evan_Green]

Brings back some good memories from when I played there in '91, thanks for posting those pics!

I liked the Portland, dunno why so many are down on it.  Really liked the Marine Highland Hotel, that's definitely a cool place to stay in town, though I remember my dad complaining more than usual about how much it cost and I'm sure its way higher 15 years later.

And yeah, that 18th green is close.  It was kind of cool though when I played there I hit my second into a little pot bunker on the right that wasn't that far from the clubhouse.  I could see that I had an audience inside, but I handled the pressure and hit a really nifty blast to about a foot that got them to stand and clap.  That kind of thing can only happen in those courses where the clubhouse is right next to the green.  OK, in the US CCFADs they'll usually have a balcony that can see the 18th green from a distance, and you'll hear a few drunks hooting "you da man" if you hit a great shot (or a bad one, or a practice swing) but it just isn't quite the same as being applauded by men in jackets and ties

Doug -

The fact that you remember an up and down from 15 years ago so vividly says it all.  Troon is a course I definately want to see again.

The Marine goes for about $250 - 300 a night these days. While its pretty hard to beat the location, the room are quite small by American Marriott standards. If only the $ was worth something over there By the way the restaurant there is excellent.

Evan

[Doug Siebert]

I could have sworn the Marine Highland was about $300 back in '91.  Maybe my dad was lying to be about how expensive it was so I'd feel guilty or something

It is funny how vividly certain shots can be remembered with the right atmosphere.  I had almost an identical experience chipping to a foot for a tap in par off the road on TOC #17 in 2001 with a small audience and the various passers by.  I've made some other great up and downs and other shots (including an ace) on great courses in Scotland and Ireland but somehow the ones where I've had an audience are stronger in my memory.  If only I was WAY better so I was good enough to play on the tour, maybe I could have handled the throngs following Tiger if I was paired with him after all

[Steve Pieracci]

Evan,
This was taken in May of 2004.  Not as firm and fast as August, as shown by 3 of 4 of us holding the green.  

The hole looks more menacing in your photo.  

[Evan_Green]

Steve,

I played Troon in August, so I guess the difference is the relatively dry summer months - or maybe '04 was wetter than '05

Yes your shot makes the hole look much more inviting. The color of that gorse is stunning. The fact that you played the course on a much nicer day probably adds to that impression.

BTW None of us hit the green  

Evan

[Steve Pieracci]

It was a mixed bag weather day.  We had sun, clouds, rain, wind, you name it.  Fun none the less.    

[Evan_Green]

Scotland weather is just unbelivable

[Mike Benham]

And this is where the fourth member of our group ended up ...

[Evan_Green]

Ouch....

[Steve Pieracci]

Oh yeah....I forgot about him...I was thinking he missed down to the right.  

[Evan Fleisher]

Here's one of my personal fav's of the old Postage Stamp...



Taken in the summer of 1998...that's me on the left and my best friend Greg on the right.  Photo was taken just before my first EVER Scottish birdie after plunking one into the left hillside that somehow magically bounded down onto the green, where I proceeded to make about a 14 foot downhill, sidehill putt.  Absolutely magical...

[Richard Phinney]

I particularly like the short holes on the Portland.  There are some nice two-shotters, too, such as the 2nd, but there are also a few bland holes.  Has anyone played the municipal courses at Troon?

Played Lochgreen - supposedly the best of the munis at the time - in the late 1980s, and really wanted to like it, as the buzz around the place was so refreshing compared to the snobbishness at Royal Troon. But I found it dull.  (And the meat pies were ghastly.)  However, it was about the third links course I ever played so some of the subtleties may have been lost on me (of the the course, not the pies).  

[Steve Pieracci]

I particularly like the short holes on the Portland.  There are some nice two-shotters, too, such as the 2nd, but there are also a few bland holes.  Has anyone played the municipal courses at Troon?

Played Lochgreen - supposedly the best of the munis at the time - in the late 1980s, and really wanted to like it, as the buzz around the place was so refreshing compared to the snobbishness at Royal Troon. But I found it dull.  (And the meat pies were ghastly.)  However, it was about the third links course I ever played so some of the subtleties may have been lost on me (of the the course, not the pies).  

Played the front nine @ Lochgreen the day we arrived.  We were just killing time to get our body clocks adjusted.  I don't remember much of the course, but here I am half way around the world, and the single that joins up with us, knows a guy that I work with.  Go figure.