Ayrshire is home to the Open Championship with the first ever "Open" played at the historic Prestwick Golf Club around its original 12 holes.
With Royal Troon host to the Open in July 2004, why not take the opportunity and test yourself across some of the qualifying courses in the area using the Open Qualifier Card.
The Western Gailes golf course is a true links course with spectacular views of the Firth of Clyde right across to the Isle of Arran. Just next door to Western Gailes along the coast is Glasgow Gailes, a championship links course with fairways lined with heather.
Further south down the A77 is another famous Open Championship course at Turnberry. The Open Qualifier Card allows you to play a round on the Kintyre course. Anybody struggling to get to grips with the challenges of playing Links golf, take the opportunity to benefit from some expert tuition at the Colin Montgomery Links Golf Academy. Alternatively you could try and book a round on the famous Ailsa course that was scene of the very famous 'Duel in the Sun' between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. In 2006 it plays host to the Weetabix British Women's Open and the British Seniors Open Championship.
Returning north on the A77, play at Kilmarnock (Barassie) GC which has 27 holes of which the latest nine holes were designed to host Open Championship qualifying rounds before moving on to Irvine Bogside, another highly reputed links course to complete your tour of Ayrshire's qualifying courses.
