Prestwick Golf Club is located in the town of PrestwickPrestwick is a town located in South Ayrshire on the central west coast of Scotland, approximately 30 miles to the south-west of Glasgow. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 15,478. It adjoins the larger town of Ayr, the centre of which is approximately 2 miles south. As ...Prestwick, South AyrshireSouth Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Àir a Deas in Gaelic) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. The administrative boundaries were formed in 1996, and it is a direct successor to the ...South Ayrshire, ScotlandScotland is a nation in northwest Europe and one of the four constituent countriesThe website of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom refers to "Countries within a country", stating "The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland". of the United Kingdom. It occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shares a land border to the south with England. ...Scotland. It is approximately 30 miles southwest of Scotland's largest city, GlasgowGlasgow (Glaschu in Gaelic; or Glesca/Glesga in Scots) is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Glasgow is the most populous unitary authority area. It is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands. A person from Glasgow is known as a Glaswegian. Glaswegian is also the name of the local dialect. Glasgow grew from the medieval Bishopric of Glasgow and the later establishment ...Glasgow. Prestwick is a classic linksA links golf course, sometimes referred to as a seaside links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes, and also sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect. It can be treated as singular even though it has an "s" at the end, and occurs in place names that precede the development of golf, for example Lundin Links, Fife. Many ...links golf course, being built on the rolling sandy land that "links" the beach and the land further inland. The course is located near the Prestwick airport and some holes run along railroad tracks on the eastern side of the course.

The club was founded in 18511851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Monday "Calendar in year 1851 (Russia)" (Julian calendar, starting Tuesday), webpage: Julian-1851 (Russia used the Julian calendar until 1919). of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar).1851, and Old Tom MorrisTom Morris, Sr. (1821 – 1908), otherwise known as "Old Tom Morris", was one of the pioneers of professional golf. He was born in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, the "home of golf" and location of the St Andrews Links and died there as well. His son Tom Morris, Jr. (d. 1875), best-known as "Young Tom Morris", was also a champion golfer. Morris was an apprentice to Allan Robertson, generally regarded as the first professional golfer. He worked as a greenkeeper, clubmaker ...Old Tom Morris was the club's "Keeper of the Green, Ball and Club Maker" for a number of years. Prestwick is famous as the initial sponsor of The Open Golf ChampionshipThe Open Championship is the oldest of the four major championships in men's golf. It is the only major held outside the USA and is administered by the R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the U.S. and Mexico. The event takes place every year on one of nine historic links courses in the United Kingdom. In ...The Open Golf Championship, the oldest of golf'sThe first game of golf for which records survive was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in A.D. 1456, recorded in the archives of the Edinburgh Burgess Golfing Society, now The Royal Burgess Golfing Society.golf's four major championshipsThe Major Championships, often referred to simply as "the majors", are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf. The "majors" originally consisted of the Open Championship, the British Amateur or The Amateur Championship, the U.S. Open and the US Amateur. With the introduction of the Masters Tournament in 1934, and the rise of professional ...major championships. The first Open was held in 1860Year 1860 (MDCCCLX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar).1860 and the winner was presented with a red Morocco belt with silver clasps purchased by the members at a cost of £25. The club staged all the Opens up to 1870Year 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar).1870 and remained in the rotation until 1925Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar.1925, hosting the championship 24 times in all. Prestwick has also staged the British Amateur ChampionshipThe Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held in the United Kingdom. In the rest of the world, it is often known as the "British Amateur" or the "British Amateur Championship". It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur male golfers alongside the U.S. Amateur. The event was founded in 1885 and has been organised by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews for most of its history. Before World War II it was regarded ...British Amateur Championship on a number of occasions.

At the time of the early Open Championships the course had 12 holes, but in the later decades of the 19th centuryThe 19th century (also written XIX century) lasted from 1801 through 1900 in the Gregorian calendar.19th century 18 became established as the standard number of holes on a course, and Prestwick was eventually extended to this. Unlike some of Scotland's other leading courses, Prestwick is a private members' club, but visitors may book to play the course on most days of the week.