Why it matters
Prestwick hosted the first Open Championship in 1860 and the next 11 after that. The course Tom Morris Sr. designed in 1851 is largely intact — walls, blind shots, the Cardinal bunker on the 3rd, the railway down the right of the 1st. It's not a championship test by modern standards but is the most direct connection to where the professional game began, and it's still a club anyone can book a tee time at.
How to play it
Walking only and walkable. Reciprocal arrangements with many overseas clubs; visitors book directly through the club six months out. Pair with Royal Troon next door or with Turnberry Ailsa 30 minutes south on an Ayrshire links week. Glasgow Prestwick airport is 10 minutes by car.