Troon (Lochgreen)

The second course to be constructed at Troon Links, the Lochgreen Course is the longest of the three tracks, coming in at around 6,800 yards.

Troon Links is also home to the Darley Course and the Fullarton Course, with the former being the first to be designed on the property. 

The Lochgreen is a rare par 74, with a quintet of par 5s, all of which are shy of 500 yards. The course also gets its length from an abundance of long par 4s, and a trio of tricky short holes. 

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The Lochgreen was the second course of the three to be created and opened at Troon Links, following the Darley Course. 

The Lochgreen Course has played host to Qualifying for the Open Championship on several occasions – and none more famous than for the 1962 event, where the great Jack Nicklaus qualified for the Open for the first time in his career.

The Lochgreen Course is the longest of the three golf courses at Troon Links, pushing past the 6,75-yard mark. Like the other layouts at Troon Links, the Lochgreen Course begins and ends by the clubhouse, before then moving out to the south, running around the outside of the Fullarton Course. The length comes from quintet of par 5s, all of which are shorter than 500 yards and offer up real scoring opportunities throughout a round. 

However, the course begins with one of the toughest par 4s, the 473-yard 1st. The longest par 4 on the property, the tee shot has to be accurate to avoid the fairway bunkers that lurk on either side of the landing zone. There is more sand by the green, but it is pretty open for wayward approaches. After the tough opener, two of those par 5s comes back-to-back. The miss is down the left on 2, with a burn running down the right side of the fairway. The same hazard continues down the right side on 3 as well, while a large bunker on the left of the fairway is awaiting anything that is pulled off the tee. The green sits in a corner, with OOB both on the right and behind the putting surface.

You then cross the road to play the next five holes, located in the southernmost section of Troon Links. 4 is the shortest par 4 on the course at just 290 yards. Like with all holes in this section of the course, the miss is to the left. A pair of bunkers sitting around 60 yards from the green offer the perfect aiming point for those not taking the green on. The 5th is the Stroke Index 1 on the course, with the railway line running down its right side. Trees and sand near the green make the approach a tricky prospect. The 6th is the opening par 3 on the course, and plays 190 yards from the tips. A trio of bunkers guard the front portion of the green, but there no space behind as the trees encroach at the back edge. 

After making the turn to come back north, you play another par 5, the 7th. At 485 yards, it is another that is reachable in two for most, and there is plenty of space to attack this hole. 8 is another scoring chance, a par 4 of just 315 yards. Again, thanks to being situated next to the 4th, there is a large landing area, so you can be aggressive and try and get as close to this green as possible with your tee shot. After crossing back over the road, the front nine ends with a tough par 4. At 427 yards, and with three fairway bunkers awaiting any errant tee shots, a par is a good score here. The back nine begins with a par 3, though at 195 yards, it is not short. Two bunkers sit at the front of the green, but there is space on all three sides past those. 

11 is a slight dog-leg right, and anything left of the fairway may well run into deep rough and see you reaching into your bag for another golf ball. There is a solitary bunker on the right corner of the fairway, with plenty more space out to the right, where 14 sits. The 12th is another par 4 of more than 400 yards, this time running arrow straight alongside the road on its left side. Again, right is the best miss here, as anything left will be OOB. If you can get through 11 and 12 unscathed, then the Lochgreen gives you another good scoring chance at the 13th. It is just 315 yards from the tips, with the longest hitters fancying their chances of making it on to the green with their tee shots. For most, though, avoiding the fairway bunker on the right side is key with the drive, before then having as little club as possible to attack the flag. 

14 is also just a nudge over 300 yards, but plays as a dog-leg left around a thick copse of trees. The ideal play is out to the right slightly, to give yourself the best line into the green. From the tips, the 15th is easily the longest par 3 across the three courses at Troon Links. It comes in at more than 230 yards, and will play as a par 4 for some of the shorter hitters. A quartet of bunkers sit short of the green, with a narrow line in between them to make the green. The first of two par 5s in the final stretch comes at 16 – a dog-leg right around trees and the property boundary. The ideal drive is down the left side to give a view of the green. For some it is reachable, but for most, it will be a three-shotter, with the perfect laying up spot being just short of the bunkers around 80 yards from the green. 

The penultimate hole on the Lochgreen Course also has trouble down the right side in terms of the boundary of the property, while holes from the Fullarton Course are on the left of 17. The 17th is 355 yards, and the drive has to be accurate to avoid the two fairway bunkers that are positioned in the landing zone. The closing hole is also the last of the five par 5s. The 18th comes in at just under 500 yards, and realistically, it is a tee shot where you can take driver and try and hit it down there as far as possible! There are fairway bunkers, but there are other golf holes sitting on either side of 18, so anything too wayward will still be playable. There are also sand traps by the green, but the 18th provides one final great opportunity.

Where is Troon Links located?  

Troon Links is situated at the heart of the town of Troon, on the western coastline of Scotland. Troon Beach, which overlooks the Irish Sea, is just a third of a mile from the entrance to the golf club, while the A78 – which runs from Greenock to Monkton – also runs close by the eastern side of Troon Links.

Troon Station is just a hundred yards from the entrance to the golf club, with the station sat on the Ayr-Glasgow line; services running regularly throughout the day. The nearest airport to Troon Links is Glasgow Prestwick, just five miles to the south of the venue. Glasgow Airport, the second busiest airport in the country, is 30 miles to the northeast.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?

Royal Troon’s Old Course – host of the Open Championship on many occasions – is less than a mile from Troon Links. The Ayrshire coastline is a hotbed for stunning links courses, with the likes of Kilmarnock Barassie, Dundonald Links, Western Gailes, Gailes Links, Irvine and Prestwick all within just a few miles.

What golf facilities does Troon Links offer?

Along with the three courses – the Lochgreen, Darley and Fullarton – the venue also has practice facilities, including a putting green and a short game area for you to hone your skills before taking to either of the three 18-hole layouts.

What are the green fees at Troon Links?

The price of a green fee at Troon Links changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Troon Links, visit their website here.