Prestwick St.Nicholas

Founded: 1851

Designer:

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Prestwick
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Holes: 18
5952
Par:

Prestwick St. Nicholas golf club was founded in 1851, the same year as Prestwick Golf Club. For the first 25 years of their existence both clubs shared the original 12 hole links located at the northern end of Prestwick beach. This course was set out by Tom Morris who had been enticed to come to Prestwick from St. Andrews to become Head Greenkeeper, Ball and Clubmaker. During this period the open championship was born and played for the first time in 1860 over the Prestwick Course. In 1876 the St. Nicholas club moved to a new course towards the back of Prestwick which in later years became their Ladies Course. The final move came in 1892 when a new Links was opened at the southern end of Prestwick beach, which has remained the home of St. Nicholas to this day. St. Nicholas is a challenging tight traditional links of 5,952 yards in length with a Par 69. It features the many natural hazards of heather gorse and dunes as well as various man made ones such as railway lines, roads and an old quarry which is now a large water hazard between the 7th and 8th fairways. The course commands beautiful views across the Firth of Clyde to Ailsa Craig in the south and the Isle of Arran to the west which on a summer's evening creates many magnificent sunsets.