Prestwick Golf Club is located in the town of Prestwick, South Ayrshire. It is approximately 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Scotland's largest city, Glasgow. Prestwick is a classic links golf course, being built on the rolling sandy land lying between the beach and the land further inland. The course is located near the Prestwick airport, and some holes run along railway tracks on the eastern side of the course.
The Open Championship originated at Prestwick Golf Club and was played there 24 times from 1860 to 1925.
In common with other courses, many of Prestwick's original holes crossed over the same undulating terrain; no more than two dozen golf clubs existed anywhere in the world at that time. Six of the original greens are still used by the present 18-hole course, which also includes three of the original holes: 2nd (Alps), 4th (Cardinal) and 5th (Sea Headrig).
Tom Morris, originally from St Andrews, returned there to take charge of their links in 1865, but also assisted Prestwick when it extended its course to 18 holes in 1882 after the club acquired significantly more land to the north of its original lay-out. With the course's expansion to 18 holes, which had become the game's standard, cross-routing was eliminated.
