The third course on our Scotland Golf Trip was Turnberry Ailsa, home to four Open Championships won by some of the biggest names in history. Below is our review of quite possibly the most stunning golf course we have ever played and why it is ranked #10 on Golf Digest’s Top 100 courses in the world. Click here to read an overview of our entire Scotland golf trip.
About Turnberry Ailsa
Turnberry Ailsa Course is the number one ranked golf course in the UK & Ireland. Set alongside the glorious Ayrshire coastline, with Arran and Ailsa Craig as a stunning backdrop, it is one of the finest golfing destinations in the world. Sophisticated, handsome and presenting a challenge of the first order, this stunning combination of nature and golf is one of a kind, providing a round of golf that will live in every player’s memory for years to come. Ailsa Course has been recently transformed at the hands of renowned architect Martin Ebert and now features five of the world’s best par 3’s and a stretch of coastal golf that is unrivaled throughout the world.
On the 6th Tee Looking towards the Clubhouse and Resort Hotel
History
Before golf was played on the grounds, it was the birthplace of the legendary leader Robert the Bruce. From the 11th green, players can look back towards the lighthouse and see the ruins of the castle that once adorned the cliffs.
Pressed into service during The Great War because of its strategic coastal location, Turnberry's waving greens and dunes were levelled to make way for airstrips, hangers and huts. There, the Royal Flying Corps trained pilots in the arts of aerial gunnery and combat and the wounded convalesced at Turnberry Hotel.
When peace came, the damage to the resort was repaired, and in 1923, Turnberry's No. 2 course benefitted from a substantial redesign by the acclaimed James Braid. Three years later, the No. 1 course was revised to increase its length and improve play. At this time, both were rechristened with the more romantic names-Ailsa and Arran, respectively-that are used today. A memorial to honour those lost still remains on the hill overlooking the 12th green of The Ailsa.
War was declared against Germany in 1939, and soon it was again difficult to imagine that Turnberry had ever been anything but an airfield. The hotel was commissioned as a hospital, and the courses were converted into a Royal Air Force flying school. It is thought that as many as 200 died at Turnberry, and the heavier aircraft and machinery of the Second World War damaged the grounds even more severely than those of the First.
The castle ruins are below and to the right of the lighthouse.
Airmen Memorial
Standing 24 meters tall, the Turnberry Lighthouse has marked this coastline since 1873. Originally commissioned by the Northern Lighthouse Board to warn passing vessels away from nearby Bristo Rock, the lighthouse is the oldest man-made structure on the Turnberry premises-with the exception of the remains of the 13th-century castle of Robert the Bruce that it marks.The initial plan to erect the lighthouse on the Rock itself proved too dangerous so instead Turnberry Point was chosen. The foundations of the lighthouse stand in what was the moat of Turnberry Castle, thought to be the birthplace of Robert the Bruce in 1274. The first light beamed across the waters on 30 August 1878, and, in line with all UK lighthouse’s, was automated in 1986.
Turnberry Lighthouse
Turnberry Ailsa made its reputation at the 1977 British Open when it was the scene of the famous “Duel in the Sun” between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus and again in 2009 with an exhilarating duel between Tom Watson and Stewart Cink. The two Open Championships between these two epic battles were won by Greg Norman in 1986 and Nick Price in 1994.
Outside of the Open Championship, Turnberry has hosted the Women’s Open, Senior Open, Scottish and British Amateurs, and the Walker Cup, among many other prestigious golf tournaments.
Tom Watson’s Duel in the Sun Plaque on the 18th
Claret Jug in the Turnberry Clubhouse
The Course
Turnberry Ailsa ranges from 5,412 yards Par 74 from the forward tees all the way up to 7,501 yards Par 71 from the tips. Per our caddies, they can actually stretch the course out to nearly 8,000 yards. We played the white tees measuring 6,543 Yards to a Par 71. Given the dry conditions, it didn’t seem to play quite that long.
Upon arriving at the 1st tee, we met our caddies, received a quick rundown from the starter, and were given a small cloth bag. Inside the bag were some tees, a pencil, scorecard, and yardage book.
1st Tee Plaque w/ Turnberry Open Champions
Swag Bag handed to us on the 1st Tee
Turnberry Ailsa has a stretch of holes that are hard to beat anywhere in golf. Beginning with the Par 3 4th, there are 8 straight holes that go along the Firth of Clyde, including a pair of holes where the tee shot requires a carry over the cliffs. When it came to the four courses we played on this trip, Turnberry was by far the most scenic. Considering it was the only course that has hosted a modern Open Championship, it was not the hardest course we played. That distinction easily belonged to Western Gailes, which we played the day before Turnberry.
6th Hole
13th Hole
10th Green
10th Tee
In contrast to our first two rounds in Scotland, Turnberry had no real blind shots. There were a handful of holes where the landing area may have been partially obscured by a dune, but not to the point of being completely blind. Also, while all of the courses we played were in great shape, the Ailsa course was just about in perfect condition. Every putt rolled true, and the tees and fairways were immaculate.
There is a small island 11 miles off the coast of Turnberry called Ailsa Craig. The island is known for its rare stone, micro-granite with “Ailsite,” which, since the mid 1800’s, has been used to make curling stones. Ailsa Craig stone accounts for 60-70% of all curling stones, with the remaining coming from the only other source, the Trefor Granite Quarry in Wales.
Ailsa Craig
3rd Green & Ailsa Craig
Driving Range
Included with our round were driving range privileges. Unfortunately, the grass range was closed so we had to hit off mats. However, they were quite forgiving and softer than normal mats. I’m not sure if it was unlimited range balls or not but we were each given a bag of balls which was a perfect amount so we didn’t think to ask for more.
Next to the driving range was a short game area that we recommend visitors take advantage of, even if for a few minutes. They had a mowed down area and a pot bunker so we were able to get an idea of what to expect on the course including green speeds.
Driving Range
Lighthouse
Besides keeping ships from hitting the rocks, the Turnberry Lighthouse serves a purpose for the golf course. There is a well stocked halfway house serving sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. A ranger met us coming off the 9th green to let us know that there was a snack bar in the lighthouse and that we kindly limit our visit to ten minutes to keep up pace of play. There were also restrooms, indoor and outdoor seating, and a 2-Bedroom Suite upstairs which guest can reserve.
Clubhouse
Being a resort course owned by Trump, the clubhouse is exactly what would be expected, opulent and large. Just like with every other course we visited, we highly recommend taking the time to wonder around the clubhouse to see everything. Since we had an early afternoon tee time, we arrived at the course over two hours early so we could get a quick bite and tour the clubhouse. There is a massive trophy case on the first floor along with some other memorabilia on the walls. The men’s locker room also had some items on the walls worth a look. The second floor also had various pictures and other historical artifacts including the Claret Jug, which sits right outside the Duel in the Sun Restaurant.
Duel in the Sun Restaurant
2009 Open Championship Scores
The Trophy Case in the Turnberry Clubhouse
Picture Signed by All 2009 Open Contestants
Pro Shop
The pro shop at Turnberry was as one of the biggest I had ever seen. There are plenty of options if you are looking for anything Turnberry branded including the usual like shirts and jackets, and other items such as glassware, pens, and cufflinks. They do have a limited selection of items online. Just like every other course we played during our trip, I picked up a coin, flag, and yardage book.
Restaurant
The restaurant on the second floor of the clubhouse, “Duel in the Sun,” overlooks the 18th of both the Ailsa and Bruce courses. They offer a sit-down menu along with limited to-go options.
Since we had an early afternoon tee time, we grabbed a quick lunch to go before our round which consisted of deli sandwiches. After the round, we stayed and enjoyed a very good dinner of ribs and fish and chips. Both of these were very good and priced about what you would expect of a resort course.
Fish & Chips
Ribs
Duel in the Sun Restaurant
Pricing
Our entire golf trip was one package so we couldn’t tell you exactly what it cost us to play the Ailsa Course at Turnberry. However, they do have their green fees listed on their website. For 2023, they are as follows:
For Residents, the greens fees run from £100 in the winter months to a max of £395 in the summer. For non-residents, the greens fees start at £175 and are £475 during the summer months. The King Robert the Bruce Course is about half the cost of the Ailsa Course throughout the year.
Staff
Every single person we interacted with was very friendly. Being a large resort course, there is less of a small town, neighborly feel that we got from the other courses we played. I don’t mean to say this as a bad thing, just something we noticed. Everyone was very busy so they really didn’t have time to just hang out and shoot the breeze.
When we checked in at the pro shop, they gave us a quick rundown of how to get range balls and where to go, where the putting green was, information about getting a bite to eat before and after the round, and where the first tee was and when to arrive. The starter was equally informative when giving us a rundown of the course and what to expect during our round.
Caddies
We will say this for every course we played in Scotland and that is caddies are worth every penny. Since we booked a golf package, our agent reserved all of our caddies for us. If you book your tee time directly with the course, caddie bookings should be made through the Turnberry Golf Club.
The cost for a caddie at Turnberry Ailsa at the time of our round was £65 plus gratuities, with that amount at the player’s discretion based on the level of service provided. After speaking to a few locals and doing a little online research, it appears most visitors give more than the recommended 10% so we each gave our caddie £100 after the round.
This course had far less blind shots and everything was as it appeared so where the caddies really helped were reading putts and providing tips on where not to miss. Also, because of the large dunes surrounding some of the holes, they were very good at judging the wind, especially since we really couldn’t feel it at ground level.
For us, one of the best reasons for getting a caddie was the banter. They will tell great stories, jokes, history of the course, and provide great conversation.
As mentioned above, we paid the caddies directly right after the round. They carried our bags to the bag drop area, we paid them, exchanged a few final words, and off they went. This was the case at every course and is normal practice so don’t take it personally if they seem rushed. For both of our caddies, our rounds were their second loop of the day so I’m sure they were ready to head home.
Final Thoughts
It would be a shame if the Open Championship never returns to Turnberry Ailsa. Outside of being an amazing golf course, the vantage points around each hole make it perfect for spectating. Also, there were so many spots along the course that made us just want to stop and take it all in, especially since we had amazing weather and could see quite a long way in every direction.
Turnberry may be a bit of a drive from the major cities in Scotland, but it is well worth the drive. Between playing an amazing course, enjoying great conversations with Chris, the caddies, and playing partners, and enjoying some of the amazing views, it would be impossible to not have a great time. I could say this about every round we played on this trip, but this truly was a round of a lifetime.
The final day of our Scotland trip was spent in Edinburgh, which is about 40 minutes south of St. Andrews. We toured the Edinburgh Castle, the Haunted Vaults, and had a couple good meals. Read on to see if this visit was as good as our first time in Edinburgh.