Named ‘The Laddie’, the new composite routing has been created in collaboration with The R&A and acclaimed golf course architects Mackenzie & Ebert, bringing together what Prince’s believes are the strongest holes from its three existing nine-hole loops: Himalayas, Shore, and Dunes.
The layout at one of UK’s best golf courses will be used for selected future championships and will also be available for golfers to play at select times during the year.
The announcement marks another significant milestone for a club that has undergone major transformation in recent years and is preparing to host the 2030 Walker Cup.
Prince’s is hardly short of pedigree. The venue staged the Open Championship in 1932, when Gene Sarazen lifted the Claret Jug, and has more recently hosted Final Open Qualifying, The Amateur Championship, and the Women’s Amateur Championship.
But while Prince’s has long had the history, many would argue it now has the conditioning and architectural polish to match.
Significant investment from the McGuirk family, combined with the design influence of Martin Ebert, has elevated the club’s standing in recent years. Extensive bunker reshaping, firmer links turf, restored sandy wasteland areas, and broader conditioning improvements have helped bring all three nines up to an impressively consistent standard.
The Himalayas loop in particular, once often considered the weakest of the trio, is now regarded by many as a genuine standout.
The new championship routing takes five holes from Himalayas, six from Shore, and seven from Dunes, and will play as a par 71 at 7,435 yards from the tips. Prince’s hope it will create a dedicated championship test capable of sitting comfortably alongside the very best links courses in Britain.
“The goal of The Laddie is to create a home for championship golf at Prince’s while maintaining the essence of the whole property,” said general manager Rob McGuirk.
“We believe we created something very special here and this specific routing will not only look to be among the best in the United Kingdom, but across the world.”
Why is it called the ‘The Laddie’?
The course is named in honour of P.B. ‘Laddie’ Lucas, one of the club’s most celebrated figures.
Lucas, who was born at Prince’s and later became both a distinguished amateur golfer and RAF pilot, occupies a unique place in club folklore. During World War II, after his Spitfire was badly damaged, he famously navigated back using his knowledge of the Kent coastline and Prince’s itself before landing safely on the links.
Away from the course, Prince’s has also continued to invest heavily in its wider offering, including clubhouse upgrades, Toptracer-equipped practice facilities, an Odyssey putting studio, and improvements planned for its on-site accommodation.
The bigger picture here is clear: Prince’s is no longer simply a historic Open venue with an interesting past.
It wants to be seen as one of the UK’s true modern championship destinations.
Could Prince’s one day bring The Open back to Sandwich Bay after almost a century away? If the club’s current trajectory is anything to go by, that may well be part of the long-term vision.