Ayrshire Open Triumverate

Not the hot topic of the day but... I'm getting together a 4ball to travel to the Ayrshire coast next summer to play the Open Championship courses of Troon, Turnberry and where the whole shooting match began at Prestwick all those moons ago. I think we'll have to have a 3 lap 4 night trip as we will have ferry from and to the Isle of Man to work in to the schedule along with the driving.

I played the Ailsa recently (week after Senior open) and it was that good (IMO absolutely amazing) I was genuinely happy to pay £160 for a lap and this experience may have swayed the other 3 to embark upon the trip next year. I guess that many people will have experience/opinion of better value for money tracks, hidden gems or links destinations that may be better, but this time we have plumbed for those three and accept the associated expense (for the courses!).

My question to anyone with local knowledge, experience or just generally in the know is what would be the best way of organising this? Directly with the clubs/accommodation or through a local/national golf trip organiser? Any hints, tips or ideas are most welcome.

You are pretty lucky to know a group willing to pay good money for good golf. I tend to find the people I play with are a bit stingy when it comes to forking out for green fees. I on the other hand would pay pretty much anything to play a good course and endure some pretty heavy travel to do so.

It sounds like an amazing trip and I hope we get to hear about it.

If possible you need to hop of the ferry at some point and play machrihanish.

Cheers, I think I mostly sold it to them eulogising about how good the Ailsa was.

Just hope I don't get slapped in the face with "yeah I'm in" now, but when it comes to the putting up of sterling to pay for it they turn it into "erm, yeah, about that trip..." Proof of the pudding and all that!

Hope not, although you'll know if I end up back on this thread in 8 months asking for any takers for some expensive rounds of golf...

Good luck trying to get them to commit. £500 for 3 rounds of golf is too much for most people, especially when you can buy an Ayrshire ticket that allows you onto lots of good courses for a small fraction of that £500.

I guess I'll be called stingy, but I'm not prepared to pay anything north of £100 for a round of golf. It's just too much.

If you plan to stay at Turnberry/ Lochgreen House I would contact them and they will probably arrange everything for you.
If not contact the courses directly, it is not to difficult to get on any of them.
If you want a heads up re other accomodation etc send me a PM

George, not at all stingy. It's a massive chunk of cash for not much golf time. I have no doubt there are great, great courses thereabouts for but a fraction of the cost. I thought Turnberry was worth every penny of the £160 I paid but appreciate many wouldn't given what that amount of cash can get (even these days).

Personally I am willing to pay that on this trip for the heritage, the experience, the "I've done it" factor and to get a (little) sense of the Open. Not to mention that I really want to do them. As before i hope the other guys are serious, otherwise you guys might be getting the nod at a discount! Cost wise I'm about to do Spain again for four laps and it's not too much different, so annually it will cost about the same.

Doon - thanks very much, I may well drop you a note. Always willing to tap into anyone's experience.