Step Inside Prestwick Golf Club's Reimagined Clubhouse
When you visit Prestwick Golf Club, there's a temptation to let the course do all the talking.
Understandable. This is the Birthplace of The Open Championship. The first dozen Opens were played here, and twenty-four were contested in total. There are some truly unforgettable holes, from the opening tee shot alongside the infamous railway, to the blind approach over a dune and across the Sahara bunker on the 17th.
Prestwick doesn't need any help making an impression. The round is as thrilling as anything you'll find in links golf.
But if you walk off the 18th and head straight for the car park, you're leaving some of the best of it behind.
Before & After
I first visited Prestwick in 2018. After the round, the then-Club Secretary invited me upstairs for a spot of kümmel. To put it diplomatically, I quickly learned that this bit of tradition is an acquired taste. And while I remember fondly the warm hospitality and excellent conversation, I recall the upstairs space being purely functional. A room that didn't quite match the grandeur of the place it accompanied.
I recently returned to Prestwick, and I was floored by the transformation.
Over the past year, the club undertook a significant renovation of its clubhouse. The aim, in their own words, was to ensure every aspect of their hospitality aligns with the world-class standard the club is renowned for. Having seen the finished product firsthand, they've done exactly that.
The Upstairs Lounge
The centerpiece of the renovation is the new bar and lounge upstairs.
The lounge features one of the game's great panoramas, with sprawling views straight down the 1st and 18th holes. Watch a group nervously play their opening tee shots on Railway. Watch another finish on 18. There are few better places in golf to sit with a drink in hand and watch the world go by, let alone one with this address.
The design throughout is thoughtful without being showy. It's comfortable, refined, and genuinely welcoming.
175 Years on the Walls
What makes the space something more than a well-appointed clubhouse is what surrounds you while you're in it.
Prestwick's Club Archivist, Andrew Lochhead, spent time with our group sharing the stories behind what's on display. The features range from The Open's original prize – the Challenge Belt – to photos of some modern winners adorning it. And then there's the map.
For decades, someone from Prestwick has traveled to The Open each year carrying a map of the original 12-hole links. After the Champion Golfer is crowned, they have him sign it. Every winner, going back to the late 1800s. It proudly hangs in the clubhouse Card Room for all to see. Don't miss it.
Downstairs in the entrance hall, the Claret Jug and the Challenge Belt are on display. The two great trophies of the game's oldest major, together in the place where the championship was born. It's the kind of thing you walk past quickly and then stop, back up, and actually look at.
Continuous Improvement
It would be easy for a club like Prestwick to rest on its history. The name alone carries more weight than most clubs could earn in a century of trying.
But the great clubs overseas understand something important: the experience has to match the expectation. History is the foundation, not the finished product.
The renovation at Prestwick speaks to that intent. This is a club that takes its responsibilities to both members and visitors seriously, and the new clubhouse reflects that.
Plan Accordingly
If Prestwick is on your Scotland Expedition, build in time after the round. Not just a quick breeze through before you're back on the road. Sit upstairs. Order a glass of something cool. Take in the view. Find the map. Let one of the staff walk you through what's on the walls. They're passionate about their club and are all too happy to share.
The golf at Prestwick is irreplaceable. And the clubhouse is now another reason to go see it for yourself.
Special thanks to our friends at Prestwick Golf Club for these photos.
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