[Matt_Ward]

ROYAL TROON – CARD OF THE COURSE

Royal Troon will measure 7175 yards for the 2004 Open Championship, 96 yards longer than the course over which Justin Leonard won the title in 1997.

Since 1997 the major changes are: -

Hole 1 (+6 yards) - New tee constructed back and 30 yards to the right of the previous first tee.

Hole 6 (+24 yards) - New tee constructed behind and in line with previous tee.

Hole 11 (+27 yards) - New tee constructed back and nearer the railway.

Hole 15 (+26 yards) - New tee constructed back and to the left of the 14th green. The previous tee was to the right of the green.

The par for Royal Troon remains 71.

CARD OF THE COURSE

Hole Yards Par
1 - 370 / 4
2 - 391 / 4
3 - 379 / 4
4 - 560 / 5
5 - 210 / 3
6 - 601 / 5
7 - 405 / 4
8 - 123 / 3
9 - 423 / 4

10 - 438 / 4
11 - 490 / 4
12 - 431 / 4
13 - 472 / 4
14 - 178 / 3
15 - 483 / 4
16 - 542 / 5
17 - 222 / 3
18 - 457 / 4

TOTAL 7,175 / 71

I'd be curious if anyone has played the course with the new tees added. I played Troon quite some time ago and would really enjoy hearing about the "new" version we shall see at this year's Open.
 


 

[Bob_Huntley]

Quote:
The criteria for awarding points to the rating exercise is lacking one thing, the visceral excitement and sheer joy of playing a course that stirs the soul.  

Prestwick and Western Gailes does it, Troon doesnt.
 

[THuckaby2]

Bob:

I used to think exactly the same re Troon.

But after my round there last July, I'm no longer so sure.  Oh, it doesn't stir the soul as much as do Prestwick and WG, but man from #6 on there is some darn good soul-stirring to be found there.  But maybe I am too easily stirred.

Matt:

I think these tees were there when I was there last July... obviously as a visitor we couldn't play such, so I have nothing concrete to report... other than that the only significant changes would be on 11 and 15, where the angle on each is changed and more trouble comes into play off the tee.  1 and 6 just seem to be the same, a bit longer.  Maybe 1 the possiblity of slicing one onto the beach becomes more real, but that ought not to be an issue for those playing in the Open.

TH

[ForkaB]

OK, it's been a few years since I've been there, but it seems to me if you put a tee 30 yards to the right of the old 1st tee, you'd be halfway to Arran, soemwhere on the beach.

These sound like minor tweaks.  I think Mark Rowlinson has seen them or will shortly.

Bob

You are sort of right.  Trooon is ugly, but, it's a "better" course than either Prestwick or Western Gailes if you add "challenge" to the criteria of excitement and joy.  If all you want is a "walk in the 'park'", play the latter two--if you want a gut check on how good a golfer you really are, play Troon.

[THuckaby2]

is ugly, but, it's a "better" course than either Prestwick or Western Gailes if you add "challenge" to the criteria of excitement and joy.  If all you want is a "walk in the 'park'", play the latter two--if you want a gut check on how good a golfer you really are, play Troon.

Rich:  agreed.  Surprised?

Obviously I don't put as much weight on challenge as you do, but I do agree with what you say.

TH

[Bob_Huntley]

Rich and Tom,

Troon is golf backwards....FLOG.

[THuckaby2]

Bob:

Well... it can be, and truly is until the 6th green.  But after that, well... I just did find a lot more visceral excitement there than I ever expected, or remembered from my prior round there.

7-8-9-10-11 is a damn fine stretch of golf, and it doesn't get any worse after that.

Hmmm... I just thought of something... the perfect golf course.  Spyglass 1-5 and Troon 6-18.  Oh hell, it's far from perfect... it's just funny how these numbers line up so perfectly!

TH

[Brian_Gracely]

Hmmm... I just thought of something... the perfect golf course.  Spyglass 1-5 and Troon 6-18.  Oh hell, it's far from perfect... it's just funny how these numbers line up so perfectly!

TH

Royal County Down 1-9.  Ballybunion 10-18.

[THuckaby2]

BG - great call!  Hmmm.. this has the makings of a fun new topic.  Nah, we can just keep it here.  Matt will live with the thread-jack.

TH

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Yes, I'm playing there later this month, though it'll be from the members' tees. If you time it right (or wrongly, in my case) at a certain period (6 weeks?) before the Open members are encouraged to play from the championship tees just to tread them down a bit.  Unfortunately playing back into the wind I simply couldn't make the carry to some of the fairways and that was in 1989 (Calcavecchia's year) when I was 15 years younger and about 4 stones slimmer....  I'll try to take a camera (though they're not actually allowed on the course).  

[Jim Franklin]

Bob -

You are spot on again. Prestwick and Western Gailes truly stir the soul. I am playing all 3 again in May and can't wait.

[THuckaby2]

Hurricane:

Yes, those two truly do.  I prefer each of them to Troon, but that's because I don't put nearly as much weight on challenge as Rich does.

But do you feel Troon doesn't stir the soul, at all?  

I was stirred and shaken last July.  Not as much as at the other two, sure.  But enough to say Troon has a hell of a lot going for it.

TH

[Jim Franklin]

Tom -

I really liked Western Gailes and Prestwick, but Troon was different. Maybe it was the caddies, I don't know, but I just didn't get that "essence of golf" feeling as much as the other places. Don't get me wrong, Troon was a special place and I can't wait to get back.

[THuckaby2]

Gotcha, H.  I felt the same way after my first playing there, way way back.  Somehow I was stirred more this recent time... maybe the same will happen to you, then again, maybe not.  It's all good.

[Thomas_Brown]

I love Troon, WG, & Prestwick.
But they're all 2nd tier to the biggies to me. (RCD, Dornoch, St. Andrews, Muirfield).

I the new yardage will stop the bleeding from the last Open only a little.  Recall the story of Tommy Tolles in the first round hitting driver off of 1 thinking he'd be 30 yards short.
His drive lipped out while the group in front was putting.
The ground at Troon is so wonderfully hard, that 7175 is like playing Torrey Pines or Rivi at 6500.

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