Ailsa Craig, a ginormous rock in the Firth of Clyde is visible from almost every hole and the lighthouse is from many, particularly the iconic 10^th and 11^th. A monument by the 12^th green is dedicated to servicemen from Scotland as well as Australia and the U.S. It’s stirring when the Scots appreciate the aid of Americans in their war time of need, a tad bit like Normandy.

The finishing hole was renamed Duel in the Sun in honor of the 1977 Open Championship when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled it out, shot for shot over four days with Watson winning the claret jug. The restaurant upstairs in the clubhouse is named the same with a view of the 18^th hole and sea. Watson had visited a few days before us as he occasionally does.