Which golf course hosted the first Open Championship in 1860?

Prestwick Golf Club hosted the first Open Championship in 1860.

The inaugural event was played on October 17, 1860, at Prestwick in Ayrshire, Scotland. The competition was created after the death of Allan Robertson, widely regarded as the leading golfer of his time, to determine a new “Champion Golfer.” Prestwick organized the contest for professional golfers.

Only eight players competed, and the course consisted of twelve holes. They played three rounds, making the event much shorter and structurally different from today’s 72-hole championship. Willie Park Sr. won with a score of 174, finishing two strokes ahead of Old Tom Morris.

The winner received the Challenge Belt, a richly decorated red leather trophy. It became the champion’s property after three consecutive victories, which Old Tom Morris achieved in 1868, 1869, and 1870. The Open expanded to include amateurs in 1861. Prestwick remained the sole host through 1872; the Old Course at St Andrews joined the rotation in 1873, followed later by other historic links courses.