The Open Championship: The Turnberry Resort, Scotland

The Open Championship, or The British Open as we call it here in the U.S., is teeing off June 16 at The Turnberry Resort in the southwestern part of Scotland. Here are some quick facts about the tournament.

• The Open Championship was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.
• The Open Championship takes place in one of the nine rotating Open Venues in Scotland or England.
• Links Style Golf Course is the oldest style of golf course (seaside links): Characteristics most often include: located on the sea, uneven fairways, few trees, and windy conditions.
• 2009 prize money is £4.2 million ($8.3 million).
• The Claret Jug has been presented to the winner of the Open Championship since 1873.
• 2009 Open Championship is being held at The Turnberry Resort (Ailsa Course), which was established in 1906.
• Par at Turnberry is 70. Yardage is 7,204: Here is the official Guide for those attending the tournament.
• The Turnberry Resort last hosted The Open Championship in 1994.
• Turnberry’s Ailsa Course is very challenging: Competitors will have to negotiate very narrow fairways, plenty of bunkers, and a 200-yard carry over rocks.
• Aerially, you can still see a runway that was used during WWII right in the middle of the Turnberry.
• The Turnberry Resort is operated by Westin Hotels.
• 2010 Open Championship will return to the Old Course at St Andrews.

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“There are only a handful of courses in the world that have the rugged beauty of the Ailsa course.”

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—Nick Price

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