turnberry

The world renown Turnberry, one of the truly great championship courses of the world, sits proudly on the Firth of Clyde, looking out towards Ireland. Overlooked by the imposing Turnberry Hotel amid scenery on a grand scale the Ailsa Course weaves it way along this quiet stretch of west coast countryside.Inland lies a land steeped in the rich heritage of Scotland’s National Poet, Robert Burns.

To the West is the intriguing silhouette of the ‘Ailsa Craig’ known to the locals as ‘Paddy’s Milestone’, an island of Granite that seems to float on the water like a huge marker buoy between the Scottish mainland and Ireland. Turnberry has a somewhat chequered history, twice during the past century the golf courses (Alisa & Arran) have been dug up to make way for airplanes. In the First World War it was the turn of the Royal Flying Corps who built a Training Airfield, and then before the Second World War it was the turn of the Royal Air Force, tearing up the links to build an airfield with three runways, parts of which are still visible today.
The first reconstruction was undertaken by Major Hutchinson along with James Braid. The courses were regarded as holiday layouts for the hotel until they were torn up to make way for the Royal Air Force. When the Second World War was finished there were some serious doubts that any rebuilding would take place. British Transport Hotels, who owned the land forced the British government into paying out compensation to enable reconstruction to take place.

Golf Course Architect Mackenzie Ross who, with the help of the hotel company’s superintendent of the grounds and golf courses, created in the Ailsa Course one of the world’s great Championship links. The original course at Turnberry was very much different, being only 13 holes, laid out by 1883 Open Champion Willie Fernie. The Third Marquis, leased land at Turnberry to the ‘ Glasgow and South Western Railway Company’, The course being built for the Marquis’s private use. A second 13 hole layout was laid out in 1905, and when Turnberry Hotel was completed two years later the railway company took over all the golfing facilities.

Turnberry has hosted both the Amateur Championship and the Open Championship on three occasions apiece. Past Royal and Ancient Secretary Sir Michael Bonallack won the first of five amateur titles at Turnberry back in 1961. It was however the 1977 Open Championship, famously named as the ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson that finally confirmed Turnberry’s status amongst the Greats. Hosting it’s first Open Championship huge galleries witnessed one of the great finishes in ‘Open’ history when Watson finished with two rounds of 65 to beat Nicklaus by one shot. The Open returned in 1986 when Greg Norman won the first of his two ‘Opens’ putting together a course record tying 63 in round three. Nick Price was victorious in 1994, confirming Turnberry’s popularity as the newest Open Championship venue.

You will enjoy one of the best championship layouts to be found anywhere in the world of golf.