St Cuthbert is the inland one of Prestwick's three clubs, a mature, mostly flat parkland course of around 6,400 yards on the east side of the town near the airport. Founded in 1899, it has none of the links drama of its neighbours and does not try to compete with them.
What it has instead is a welcome. It is a members' club that likes visitors, it is straightforward to get on, and it costs a fraction of what Prestwick Golf Club charges half a mile away.
When to play it
When the wind is up. This is the real argument for St Cuthbert, and any local will make it: when a westerly is making the links unplayable — and on this coast that is a good many days — an inland parkland course sheltered by mature trees is a far better round than being blown sideways at Prestwick St Nicholas.
It is also the sensible choice for a society or a group of mixed abilities: flat, fair, and forgiving enough that nobody has a miserable afternoon. Societies of twelve or more get ten per cent off.
Fees and booking
We have not been able to verify current visitor green fees, and would rather say so than guess. Ring the club on 01292 477101 or email admin@stcuthbert.co.uk — they are helpful, and they will tell you the visitor times as well as the rate.
Getting there
About 40 minutes from Girvan on the A77, on the east side of Prestwick near the airport. Prestwick Town station is a short distance away, and the airport has its own station on the same line, so this is one of the easier courses to reach by train.
It pairs naturally with a day in Prestwick — the birthplace of the Open, a long sandy beach and the ruined 12th-century St Nicholas kirk.
