British Open 2024: The fascinating origin of Royal Troon's most famous hole

Beethoven was not a large man, standing a mere 5-foot-4. Picasso was the same height. The writer Charlotte Bronte was just 4-10, and both the boxing champion Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran and soccer star Lionel Messi stand a mere 5-7. Mahatma Gandhi brought down an empire, and he was but a frail 5-5.

All prove that small stature is no impediment to greatness—judge them by size at your own peril.

This is certainly the case with the par-3 eighth hole at Royal Troon Golf Club, site of this week’s British Open. Known as “the Postage Stamp,” it plays just 123 yards, and downhill at that, making it the shortest hole in the Open Championship rotation.

But it punches far above its weight. In fact, the shot to the tiny, sub-3,000-square foot green, ringed with deep bunkers, is terrifying when the wind is up off the Firth of Clyde, as it normally is, and can turn the best players squishy even with a short iron or wedge in hand. During tournaments, it’s often the most difficult and most consequential shot at Troon, one that’s spawned 100 years of similarly frightening short “postage stamp” influenced par 3s.

It's a delicious and fascinating hole to study, and there’s much to unpack to understand its history and mysteries.

Please watch this video to understand why the par 3 eighth is “The Hole at Royal Troon.”