Trump Turnberry — Ailsa Course
9.5/10
9.7/10
10/10
6.0/10
9.8/10
9.5/10
The Course
The Ailsa Course at Turnberry occupies a headland on the Ayrshire coast that may be the most scenically spectacular location of any links course in Britain. Ailsa Craig — the volcanic plug that rises 340 metres from the Firth of Clyde ten miles offshore — dominates the western horizon. The lighthouse on the 9th tee promontory appears on almost every photograph taken at Turnberry. The Mull of Kintyre, Arran, the Irish coast on clear days: the visual panorama is as close to transcendent as golf scenery gets.
The course plays to a par of 70 and stretches to over 7,400 yards from the championship tees — a severe, exposed links that rewards the full range of shot-making. The par threes are among the finest in Scotland: the 4th, 6th and 15th all require precise carries over rough and burns to greens that offer little margin for error. The closing stretch from the 16th home is as dramatic as links golf produces.
Turnberry hosted four Open Championships — the most celebrated being the Duel in the Sun of 1977, when Watson and Nicklaus played the final 36 holes in a contest that many consider the greatest two days of golf ever played. The course was also the venue for Greg Norman’s dominant 1986 victory and Nick Price’s in 1994. Each of these championships was shaped by the exposure of the Ailsa Course to whatever the Firth of Clyde chose to deliver.
The Resort
The hotel at Turnberry — renovated to the highest standard — is one of Scotland’s most impressive resort properties. The spa, the dining and the accommodation all operate at a level that matches the golf, making Turnberry Scotland’s most complete luxury Stay · Play · Recover destination outside of Gleneagles. Helicopter transfers are available from Glasgow; the hotel’s own staff will arrange whatever the occasion demands.
- Stay at the hotel for priority tee time access — visitor slots fill quickly and resort guests are prioritised
- The 9th tee by the lighthouse is one of the great moments in golf — allow time to absorb it
- Wind from the south-west makes the outward nine considerably harder — plan your energy accordingly
- The King Robert the Bruce Course provides an excellent alternative round if the Ailsa is busy
- Book spa treatments in advance — the Turnberry spa operates at capacity during summer
- Helicopter transfer from Glasgow is genuinely efficient — two hours from London by air to first tee
Trump Turnberry Hotel & Spa
One of Scotland’s most impressive resort hotels — renovated to an exceptional standard with views across the Ailsa Course to the Firth of Clyde. Spa, fine dining and helicopter access combine with the Ailsa and King Robert the Bruce courses to deliver a Stay · Play · Recover experience of the very highest order.