Erskine

William Arthur Baird, at the age of twenty-one, inherited the Erskine Estate when his grandfather Lord Blantyre died in 1900. Shortly after, Baird commissioned Willie Fernie, the Troon professional, to set out an 18-hole course which was duly opened by an exhibition match between the designer and Ben Sayers from North Berwick on 12th March 1904.

In the early 1920s, Alister MacKenzie modified holes 12 and 13 (indeed the 13th is named after him) before Harry Vardon and Arthur Havers (who would win the Open at Troon the following year) played a match on the upgraded course on 3rd June 1922. James Braid then visited in 1937 to make bunker changes, add new holes and redesign others.

Today, the course measures 6,381 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 71. There’s only one par five on the card, at the 513-yard 9th, and only two par three holes, at the 154-yard 6th and 184-yard 11th. Holes 9 to 16 are situated right on the south bank of the River Clyde and these have had extensive work carried out on them in recent times to remedy drainage issues.

The most difficult hole on the front nine is “The Rookery,” a long par four where the bunker to the right hand side of the putting surface can give the impression that the green is closer than it really is. On the inward half, “Westward” at the 12th, is normally played into the prevailing wind and this tough hole is the first of seven successive par fours heading for home.