I Played Prestwick’s Original 12-Hole Open Layout With Hickories

In nearly 20 years as a golf journalist, I hadn’t played a round using hickory-shafted clubs until last week. Opportunities had arisen but for one reason or another (maybe because of my innate fear of making a fool of myself,) I hadn’t done it. Prestwick Golf Club, over the original 12-hole course, on which the first Open was contested in 1860, seemed a pretty good (if exacting) place to make my hickory debut.

This year saw the playing of the 150th Open Championship over the Old Course in St Andrews. It’s 162 years since the first “Open” was played at Prestwick in 1860 but a couple of missed years in the early days, the World Wars and Covid meant it took a little more time to get 150 championships done.

The Plan at Prestwick

Prestwick Golf Club was keen to mark the occasion but wanted to ensure their celebrations didn’t clash with the 150th Open in July. The solution was to run their events at the time of year the original Open was contested – that first one was arranged around the Prestwick Golf Club Autumn Meeting in October 1860.