Why is there a house in the middle of Royal Troon Golf Club course?

The 152nd Open - Preview Day Two — Royal Troon Golf Club course in Troon, Scotland - Getty Images

The Royal Troon Golf Club course in Troon, Scotland is hosting The 152nd Open Championship this week. Notably, there is a house in the middle of the course.

It is learned via Golf Digest that the house existed much before the venue started hosting golf tournaments and it thus stands there till date.

The Royal Troon Golf Club was established in 1878. In the 1900s, a Hollywood actress named Greer Carson lived in the house and her brother Douglas owned the place. Later, the house at Royal Troon was revamped and the semi-villa got its present structure in the 1920s.

In 2004, a merchant banker named David Kelly owned half of it and the other half was owned by Anne Lamont. In 2007, the value of the house was about $1 million. In 2016, one half of the villa was owned by Paul Gregory.

The official address of the house at Royal Troon is 14-16 Crosbie Road. The Crosbie Road is located at the back of the house and is connected to the house through a personal lane owned by the Blackrock house. Added to that, the house is called the "Blackrock Cottage" and it is named so because the eponymous black rocks are found nearby. It is also heard that it provides the best views for some holes such as the second, third, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth.

The house at the Royal Troon has become an integral part of The Open Championship since it is rented during the tournament.

Which golfers will play at Royal Troon for The Open Championship 2024?

This year a total of 158 golfers are playing at Royal Troon. The field includes LIV golfers such as Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson.

Here's the full field of The Open Championship 2024: