The 152nd playing of the Open Championship is set to begin July 18th. This year, the course rotation brings the Open Championship back to Royal Troon. Royal Troon is the idyllic links course set on the western coast of Scotland. The Old Course sits on the shoreline with the Firth of Clyde bay beyond. While the course itself is spectacular and world renowned, the short par-3 8th hole is the star. It’s called The Postage Stamp.
Where did the name postage stamp come from?
The term postage stamp has now become synonymous with any small green that’s hard to hit due to it being so small. The par-3 8th hole at Royal Troon is the original. The course and hole was designed back in 1878 and expanded to 18 holes by 1888. Royal Troon was designed by Open Champion Willie Fernie. Architect James Braid shortened it to it’s present length in the early 1900’s.
The hole was initially named Ailsa after the famous granite rock in the distance in the Firth of Clyde. However, in an article in Golf Illustrated, two-time Open Champion Willie Park, Jr. described the hole as “a pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a postage stamp.”
“a pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a postage stamp.”
Wille Park, Jr. Two-time Open Champion
Needless to stay, the term stuck and the hole has since been called The Postage Stamp.
Why is the name postage stamp so fitting?
The hole itself is short playing anywhere from 100 yards to a maximum of about 123 yards. Seems simple enough but the green is small, narrow and surrounded by five bunkers. It is placed on an ancient sand dune that falls off all around except long and left where the dune rises to it’s peak. Between the green and the peak of the dune is it’s most famous named bunker, the coffin bunker. One’s first glance at the bunker answers the question as to why it has that name. As to the amount of time an average golfer might spend in there, it also speaks to their fate.
The hole is only a wedge or less for the pros, but that can certainly change a bit when the wind rises up from off the sea.
What do the pros think of the Postage Stamp?
You’ll hear all week that it’s one of the holes the pros just want to make their 3 on and move on. It’s because it can be a disaster hole by just missing the small green. Miss left and they’ll likely be in the coffin bunker. Miss right and they will be below the green in a high faced bunker or tall grass. From there, in an effort to ensure escape, the players could over-shoot the narrow green to hazards on the other side.
The all-time worst score in the Open Championship went to a German amateur who took five shots to get out of a bunker and made a record high 15 on the hole. However, this hole doesn’t just stump the amateurs. In 1997, Tiger Woods carded a triple-bogey and fell from contention. At the last playing of the open at Royal Troon, Bubba Watson hit it into the coffin bunker and made 7.
It’s hard not to root for the wind to be up a bit to see the highs and lows that would follow. What’s for certain is that the Postage Stamp hole will have to be navigated well four times by the eventual Open Champion. Bring on the most exciting short hole in major championship golf.
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