How many times has Prestwick Golf Club hosted The Open? Prestwick Golf Club has hosted The Open 24 times.
Prestwick was the tournament’s birthplace and hosted the first Open Championship in 1860. The original course, designed by Old Tom Morris, had 12 holes, and the inaugural field contained just eight leading professionals. The players completed three circuits in a single day for a total of 36 holes.
The club staged every Open from 1860 through 1870, then hosted the championship again in 1872. It remained part of the rotation until 1925, bringing its total to 24 editions. The gap in 1871 occurred because Young Tom Morris had won the Challenge Belt outright after three consecutive victories.
Prestwick’s final Open in 1925 was troubled by severe crowd-control problems. Large galleries overwhelmed the limited marshaling arrangements, and spectators interfered with play, leading the championship to abandon the course as a venue. Prestwick’s 24 Opens rank second only to the Old Course at St Andrews among individual host courses.