Situated southwest of Glasgow on the famous golfing Ayrshire coast, a stretch of land unequalled for prime golfing terrain, Prestwick Golf Club is just minutes from Open Championship venues such as Royal Troon and Turnberry, while numerous Open Qualifying courses, such as Glasgow Gailes, Kilmarnock Barassie, Western Gailes and Irvine Bogside are also close by.
Founded in 1851, Prestwick Golf Club will forever be remembered as the birthplace of the Open Championship. In total, Prestwick has hosted the Open Championship on 24 occasions, the last time in 1926, after which the crowds were deemed too large for the venue. The original 12-hole layout played host to the first Open Championship in 1860 (won by Willie Park) for which the prize was a red Morocco leather belt with silver clasps costing the sum of ?25 and over the next 12 years at Prestwick, the belt had been won 4 times by Old Tom Morris and 3 times by Young Tom Morris, who subsequently became owner of the prized belt. Expanded to 18 holes by 1883, Prestwick has not changed much over the years and seven of the original greens remain to this day. Its often controversial blind shots and misleadingly initial unkempt appearance, bear witness to the members' aspirations that the course remain true to its origins.
Protected by the meandering waters of "Pow Burn", Prestwick boasts a unique array of holes with significant amounts of heather and gorse, which when combined with some typically hellish Scottish bunkers can often ruin an otherwise respectable score. Prestwick's fairways are for the most part narrow and its generally small and undulating greens, given certain pin placements, can make for some interesting approach shots. And while Prestwick can be forgiving on calm days, when the wind rolls in from the Firth of Clyde, the golfer would be well advised to revise their aspirations to a low score.
There are many excellent and unique holes throughout the course, including the 206-yard par three, 5th hole, where you encounter the "Himalayas" and the 391-yard 17th, where your approach to the well-protected green is over a huge dune. But probably the best-known hole at Prestwick is the par five, 3rd, which incorporates the infamous "Cardinal Bunker" - a vast expanse of sand divided by fairway and faced by railway sleepers or ties. But whatever your woes at the end of the day - whether it be Pow Burn, the Cardinal Bunker, Willie Campbell's Grave or the tricky greens, you are advised to try the best known local cure - "a brim-full schooner of Kummel"!
Freshly caught fish along with meat and game from the hills and pastures of Scotland are the essential ingredients of the distinctive cuisine of this excellent basement restaurant.
The service tends to be formal but the overall atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. With flair in evidence throughout, cooking is in a classic vein, while the dishes can be quite elaborate.
The ambience at Enterkine is excellent, while the common thread in all the culinary creations is the use of the best Scottish ingredients sourced from the farm, garden and sea.
Situated southwest of Glasgow on the famous golfing Ayrshire coast, a stretch of land unequalled for prime golfing terrain, Prestwick Golf Club is just minutes from Open Championship venues such as Royal Troon and Turnberry, while numerous Open Qualifying courses, such as Glasgow Gailes, Kilmarnock Barassie, Western Gailes and Irvine Bogside are also close by.
