Dramatic would perhaps be the best way to describe Royal Troon, which hosted the 1997 Open Championship.
When the wind blows on the Old Course strange things can happen on this classic undulating links, which is full of bumps and hollows and rated amongst the world’s best. Founded in 1878 by 24 local enthusiasts, the course consisted of only five holes but it rapidly grew in stature and hosted the Open Championship five times between 1923 and 1989 – and every time there was high drama.
No less so than in 1997 when the world expected the new golfing phenomenon Tiger Woods to follow up his runaway triumph in the US Masters with something special in Scotland.
But it was another American, Justin Leonard, who took the honours pulling back Swede Jesper Parnevik’s five-shot lead to win by three.

Consistently ranked as one of the best links golf courses in the world, Royal Troon was created by the hand of Willie Fernie, one of the great early British golfers in 1878.
Today, the Old Course at Troon presents a stiff golfing examination and the inward half is recognised as the most demanding of any of the courses on the Open Championship rota.

Frequent host to the British Open Championship, perhaps the most apt description of the course is provided by the club motto - "Tam Arte Quam Marte", which means "as much by skill as by strength".

A classic links course in every respect, the golfer is eased into the challenge with each hole appearing to get progressively tougher. Narrow fairways lined with trouble make tee shots critical, its bunkers are punishing and Troon's small greens require touch and imagination.

Running straight out and back along the coast, Troon often changes dramatically from front nine to back. As those who witnessed the fish floundering on the 4th green during the 1952 Home International will testify, when that prevailing wind blows, it really does blow.

Though boasting many superb holes, there can be little argument about Troon's most famous hole. At 126 yards, the par 3 eighth "The Postage Stamp" may be the shortest hole in British Open golf but it has certainly notched up its fair share of victims.

The severely trapped green is conducive to the golfing equivalent of Ping-Pong and has borne witness to a triple bogey by Tiger Woods in 1997 and an amazing 15 by a certain Open contender in 1950. Perhaps fittingly though, the great Gene Sarazen did manage a hole in one here on the 50th anniversary of his first appearance in the Championship.

DESIGNER: Willie Fernie
CHAMPIONSHIP LENGTH: 7,097 yards
PAR: 71
TYPE: Links