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Turnberry (golf course)

Trump Turnberry is a golf resort in Turnberry, South Ayrshire, located on the Firth of Clyde in southwest Scotland. It comprises three links golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star James Miller-designed hotel from 1906, along with lodge and cottage accommodations. Turnberry was a popular golf course and resort from its inception, made accessible because of the Maidens and Dunure Light Railway. It closed in both World Wars for military use, and there was concern it would not open following World War II, but it was redesigned by Mackenzie Ross and re-opened in 1951.

Trump Turnberry

Trump Turnberry logo
Trump Turnberry Golf Course, November 2016
Club information
Turnberry (golf course) is located in Scotland
Turnberry (golf course)
Location in Scotland
Coordinates55°18′55″N 04°49′58″W / 55.31528°N 4.83278°W / 55.31528; -4.83278
LocationTurnberry, South Ayrshire, Scotland
Established1906, 118 years ago
TypePrivate
Owned byThe Trump Organization
Total holes45
Events hostedThe Open Championship (4)
Senior Open Champ. (7)
Women's British Open (1)
Walker Cup (1)
Websitewww.trumphotels.com/turnberry
Ailsa Course
Designed byWillie Fernie, redesigned by Mackenzie Ross 1949–51, redesigned by Martin Ebert 2015–16
Par71
Length7,448 yards (6,810 m)
King Robert the Bruce Course
Designed byMartin Ebert
Par72
Length7,204 yards (6,587 m)
Arran Course
Par31

The course was the scene of the 1977 Open Championship, where Tom Watson scored a close victory over Jack Nicklaus. The property has been owned by the Trump Organization since 2014,[1][2] who now brand the course Trump Turnberry.

Location

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The resort is 50 miles (80 km) south of Glasgow, on the A719 just north of the A77, a major road from Glasgow to Stranraer via Ayr. It is sited on headland along the Firth of Clyde, overlooking the Isle of Arran and Ailsa Craig.[3]

History

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Development

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Ailsa Craig to the southwest,
from the South Ayrshire coast

The idea of the course came from Archibald Kennedy, 3rd Marquess of Ailsa after the announcement of the Maidens and Dunure Light Railway in 1899. The line would follow the Ayrshire coastline from Ayr to Girvan. The Marquess owned 175 acres (71 ha) of land at Turnberry Green, south of Maidens, which was infertile and unsuitable for agriculture, and therefore an ideal golf course location.[4][5] He realised the new railway would provide easy access for people wanting to visit a quality course. Following the construction of the line, he asked 1883 Open Championship winner Willie Fernie to design a suitable course. Fernie designed an initial round of 13 holes in 1901, with a second-round following later.[4]

The hotel was designed by station architect James Miller, whose other work included Glasgow Central and Stirling railway stations.[6] It was built adjacent to the railway, and opened concurrently with the station on 17 May 1906.[4] The course was intended to attract visitors from across Britain, and was advertised heavily in the national press.[4]

World Wars

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The property was used as an airbase in World War I, and a landing strip built for this purpose still exists, now disused. The Royal Flying Corps trained pilots in the arts of aerial gunnery and combat, and the Turnberry Hotel was used as a hospital for the wounded.[7] After the war, courses 1 and 2 were rebuilt and renamed "Ailsa" and "Arran".[8] A memorial to honour lost airmen was erected on the hill overlooking the ninth hole of Ailsa, which is still standing.[9]

The cycle was repeated for World War II. The hotel was commissioned as a hospital, and the golf courses were seconded for air training for the Royal Air Force (RAF); it is thought that as many as 200 died at the base.[7] Following the war, the course was in need of refurbishment and the hotel was in a dilapidated state. Frank Hole, chairman of British Transport Hotels, convinced the Government that golf courses should be rebuilt and restored. The architect Mackenzie Ross rebuilt the course, removing the wartime runways and covering the land with sand and topsoil.[5][10] Ross is credited with restoring the courses to their high quality, and the Ailsa course was re-opened in 1951, a seaside links with views of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran.[11]

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The hotel and golf course was served by its own dedicated railway station. Turnberry railway station opened in 1906 and operated until 1942, when the Maidens and Dunure Light Railway line was partially closed.[12]

Starwood ownership

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Starwood acquired the hotel in 1997, and until 2008, was operated under the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand. In 2008, Leisurecorp, Dubai World's sport and leisure subsidiary purchased the resort, with Starwood continuing to manage operations under The Luxury Collection brand.[13][2]

Trump ownership

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The course in 2019, with the Turnberry Hotel situated in the background

Donald Trump purchased the hotel and golf courses from Leisurecorp in 2014 for $60 million,[14][15][16] and the resort was renamed Trump Turnberry.[17][18] Trump resigned his directorship of the companies which own Trump Turnberry in 2017, just before he was inaugurated as President of the United States, and passed control to his sons Donald Jr and Eric.[19] The Trump Organization claims to have spent about $200 million on renovating the course; $18 million were accounted for in 2016.[20] Donald Trump remains the owner of Golf Recreation Scotland, which in turn owns SLC Turnberry.[21]

Financing for Trump's golf courses came under scrutiny in the Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Glenn Simpson testified before Congress that "enormous amounts of capital [was] flowing into these projects from unknown sources and – or at least on paper it says it’s from the Trump Organisation, but it’s hundreds of millions of dollars. And these golf courses are just, you know, they’re sinks. They don’t actually make any money."[22][23]

In September 2019, it was reported that the House Oversight and Reform Committee of the United States Congress was investigating increased military expenditure at Glasgow Prestwick Airport that might constitute a conflict of interest in regard to the Trump Turnberry golf course.[24][25][26] It was reported in September 2019 that the Pentagon had spent nearly $200,000 at Turnberry since Trump took office, although stays by Air Force crews remained consistent compared to previous years with only 6% staying at Turnberry from 2015-2019.[27][28] A report released by Air Mobility Command in response to the investigation found no wrongdoing by its aircrews in acquiring accommodation around the Prestwick Airport.[28]

In February 2023, the company managing the golf course, SLC Turnberry Ltd., reported pre-tax losses of 3.7 million pounds ($4.57 million) in 2021.[29]

Open Championship future

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After the 2021 United States Capitol attack, the organizer of the championship, The R&A, announced that The Open would not be held again at Turnberry as long as its links to the Trump Organization remain.[30][31]

Courses

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Turnberry lighthouse at sunset surrounded by the golf course.

The Ailsa Course, redesigned by Mackenzie Ross between 1949 and 1951, and again by Martin Ebert between 2015 and 2016, has staged The Open Championship on four occasions (1977, 1986, 1994, and 2009). It has also hosted many other important golf tournaments, including the Women's British Open in 2002, the Walker Cup in 1963, the Amateur Championship in 1961, 1983, 1996, and 2008, and the Senior Open Championship on seven occasions, 1987–90, 2003, 2006, and 2012. The Ailsa Course is featured in the 2004 golf video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005.

The other two courses at Turnberry are the King Robert the Bruce course and the nine-hole Arran course. The Kintyre Course, opened in 2001 and existed at the resort until it was replaced by the King Robert the Bruce course in 2017.[32] The Kintyre Course was designed by Donald Steel and built on the foundations of the old Arran layout, which had been rebuilt along with the Ailsa Course following World War II. During the war, the resort was used as a hospital and the courses were flattened and paved for use as a major RAF airfield.[33] The new Arran Course opened in 2002.

Other golf facilities at the resort include the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy and a pitch and putt course.

In 2003, the 18th hole on the Ailsa Course, "Ailsa Hame", was renamed "Duel in the Sun" as homage to the battle between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977;[34] this is also the name of a sports bar at the resort. In 2009, Watson, 59, held a one-shot lead when he bogeyed this hole in the final round, eventually losing the Open Championship in a playoff.[35]

Awards

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Turnberry Golf Courses and Resort have won/hold various awards including:

  • Ailsa Course ranked No. 8 and King Robert the Bruce Course ranked No. 94[36] - World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, Golf Digest 2024
  • No. 2 in Scotland and 3rd in Great Britain, 2024[37] - National Club Golfer
  • No. 2 Golf Course in Scotland, 2023[38] - Top 100 Golf Courses
  • 4th Best Golf Resorts in Europe, 2023[39] - Leadingcourses.com
  • Top 100 Greenest Courses Europe 2024[40] - Golf World
  • The Ailsa ranked the No. 3 golf course in UK & Ireland, 2023[41] - Golf Monthly
  • Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Hotel Award, 2024[42]

Ailsa Course scorecard

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The official names are:[43]

Hole Yards (Metres) Par Name Meaning
1 441 (403) 4 Ailsa Craig Named after the island
2 425 (389) 4 Mak Siccar Make sure
3 496 (454) 4 Blaw Wearie Out of breath
4 194 (177) 3 Woe-Be-Tide A warning about the Firth of Clyde
5 531 (486) 5 Fin Me Oot Find me out
6 171 (156) 3 Tappie Toorie Hit to the top
7 476 (435) 4 Roon The Ben Round the mountain
8 454 (415) 4 Goat Fell Named after the tallest peak on the Isle of Arran
9 248 (227) 3 Bruce's Castle Named after Turnberry Castle, which is adjacent to the course
Out 3,436 (3,142) 34
10 565 (517) 5 Dinna Fouter Don't mess about
11 215 (197) 3 Maidens Named after a small village near the course
12 468 (428) 4 Monument Named after the memorial to lost airmen from both World Wars
13 409 (374) 4 Tickly Tap Tricky little stroke
14 568 (519) 5 Risk-An-Hope Risk and hope
15 234 (214) 3 Ca' Canny Take care
16 509 (465) 4 Wee Burn Named after Wilson's burn, which runs in front of the green
17 559 (511) 5 Lang Whang Long whack
18 485 (443) 4 Duel in the Sun (formerly Ailsa Hame) Re-named in 2003 in reference to the contest between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 Open.[34]
In 4,012 (3,669) 37
Total 7,448 (6,810) 71

Tournaments held at Turnberry

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The Open Championship

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The 10th and 12th holes on the Open Championship venue Ailsa course

At its first Open Championship in 1977, the course was the scene of the famous "Duel in the Sun",[44] when Tom Watson claimed a classic victory, one stroke ahead of Jack Nicklaus.[45]

The two were paired during the final two rounds and finished well ahead of the rest of the field. They posted identical scores for the first three rounds, and were tied through the 16th hole of the final round. Nicklaus missed a short birdie putt on the par-5 17th hole to tie Watson, who had reached in two and birdied. On the par-4 18th hole, Nicklaus recovered from the rough and sank a lengthy birdie putt, which forced Watson to sink his short birdie putt to win, which he did. It was the second of Watson's five Open titles; down two strokes on the 13th tee, he bested Nicklaus by three shots over the final six holes.[citation needed]

Nine years later in 1986, Greg Norman claimed the first of his two Opens (his only major titles), winning by five strokes. Nick Price won his second major (and only Open) in 1994, a single stroke ahead of runner-up Jesper Parnevik.[46]

 
Stewart Cink, who won the 2009 Open Championship, the most recent to be held at Turnberry

After a fifteen-year absence, the Ailsa Course hosted the Open in 2009, where 59-year-old Watson nearly won his sixth Open Championship. Up by a stroke at the 72nd hole, his approach shot took an unfortunate bounce on the front of the green, then ran off the back and led to a bogey. Watson then lost a four-hole playoff with Stewart Cink by six strokes; Cink birdied the 72nd hole and then posted two pars and two birdies in the playoff to win his only major title.[citation needed]

In 2015, the governing body for Golf, The R&A, announced that the 2020 Open Championship would not be played at Turnberry, even though it had previously been considered likely to host the tournament. The R&A were unimpressed with several remarks by Donald Trump; one member said he would like Turnberry to host the Open again, but "not Trump Turnberry".[47][48] In February 2018 the U.S. Ambassador to Britain, Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson IV, told colleagues that he had been instructed by then-President Trump to seek British government help in securing the British Open for Turnberry. Although advised not to do so by his deputy, Lewis Lukens, he reportedly did suggest to David Mundell, the Secretary of State for Scotland, that the Open be moved to Turnberry. However, a later British government statement said that Johnson "made no request of Mr. Mundell regarding the British Open or any other sporting event."[49]

Following the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, the R&A announced that it had no plans to stage any of its competitions at Turnberry and would not do so "until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself".[50]

The Open Championship winners at Turnberry, all played on the par-70 Ailsa Course:

Year Winner Score Winner's
share (£)
R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1977   Tom Watson 2nd 68 70 65 65 268 (−12) 10,000
1986   Greg Norman 1st 74 63 74 69 280 (Even) 70,000
1994   Nick Price 69 66 67 66 268 (−12) 110,000
2009   Stewart Cink 66 72 71 69 278 (−2)PO 750,000
  • Note: For multiple winners of The Open Championship, superscript ordinal identifies which in their respective careers.

The Senior Open Championship

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Winners of The Senior Open Championship at Turnberry.

Year Winner Country Score
1987 Neil Coles   England 279 (−1)
1988 Gary Player   South Africa 272 (−8)
1989 Bob Charles   New Zealand 269 (−11)
1990 Gary Player   South Africa 280 (Even)
2003 Tom Watson   United States 263 (−17)PO
2006 Loren Roberts   United States 274 (−6)PO
2012 Fred Couples   United States 271 (−9)

Women's British Open

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Winner of the Women's British Open at Turnberry.

Year Winner Country Score
2002 Karrie Webb   Australia 273 (−15)
2015 Inbee Park   South Korea 276 (−12)

The Ailsa Course was played as a par-72 at 6,407 yards (5,859 m) in 2002;[51] and played marginally longer at 6,410 yards (5,860 m) in 2015.[52]

See also

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References

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Citations

  1. ^ Lemon, Jason (12 July 2018). "Trump in Scotland: What Does the President Own in the Northern U.K. Country?". Newsweek. Retrieved 17 September 2018. In December, the Turnberry course also lost a controversial tax break from the Scottish government, The Guardian reported. Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay was pressured to make the changes after it was revealed earlier in the year that the Trump property had kept more than $140,000 a year due to a business rates relief scheme.
  2. ^ a b MacAskill, Ewen (24 June 2016). "Donald Trump flies in for Scotland visit as protesters converge on Turnberry". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Campbell & Satterley 1999, p. 137.
  4. ^ a b c d Corcoran 2010, p. 116.
  5. ^ a b Posnanski 2016, p. 113.
  6. ^ Christopher & McCutcheon 2014, p. 116.
  7. ^ a b "Turnberry at War". Turnberry Golf Course. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009.
  8. ^ Barrett & Hobbs 1999, p. 186.
  9. ^ Coyne 2018, p. 343.
  10. ^ Campbell & Satterley 1999, p. 198.
  11. ^ Campbell & Satterley 1999, pp. 137–138.
  12. ^ "Hotel to Resort - Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort".
  13. ^ "Turnberry on course for a £55m takeover". The Scotsman. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
  14. ^ "Where Did Donald Trump Get Two Hundred Million Dollars to Buy His Money-Losing Scottish Golf Club?". The New Yorker. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  15. ^ "US property tycoon Donald Trump buys Turnberry resort". BBC News. BBC. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  16. ^ Carter, Iain (29 April 2014). "Turnberry: Donald Trump deal should not affect Open status". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Donald Trump adds his name to the Turnberry golf resort". BBC News. BBC. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  18. ^ "Donald Trump's name 'will boost Turnberry'". BBC News. BBC. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  19. ^ "Trump resigns Scottish golf course directorships". BBC News. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  20. ^ "Trump Organisation claims £150m Turnberry investment". BBC News. 16 October 2016.
  21. ^ McLaughlin, Martyn (12 May 2018). "Donald Trump's Scottish resort paid by US taxpayers for 'VIP visit'". The Scotsman.
  22. ^ "US Congress asks if Russian money funded Trump golf courses". The Guardian. Press Association. 20 January 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  23. ^ Davidson, Adam (13 July 2018). "Where Did Donald Trump Get Two Hundred Million Dollars to Buy His Money-Losing Scottish Golf Club?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  24. ^ "Trump probed over military spending in Scotland". 7 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  25. ^ "Congress probe as US military spending increase at Prestwick Airport linked to Trump Turnberry". scotsman.com. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  26. ^ Lipton, Eric (9 September 2019). "Trump Had Deal With Scotland Airport That Sent Flight Crews to His Resort". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  27. ^ Bertrand, Natasha; Bender, Bender (18 September 2019). "Military has spent nearly $200,000 at Trump's Scottish resort since 2017". Politico. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  28. ^ a b "Air Mobility Command Review of Civil Airport Use and Aircrew Lodging" (PDF). Air and Space Forces Magazine. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Trump's Scottish golf courses recorded more losses in 2021". Reuters. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  30. ^ "The R&A - R&A Turnberry Statement". www.randa.org. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  31. ^ "The Open will not be played at iconic Turnberry while it is owned by Donald Trump". Sky Sports. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  32. ^ bunkered.co.uk (28 June 2017). "King Robert the Bruce Course officially opened". bunkered.co.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  33. ^ "Turnberry's Kintyre Course proves to be true champion". PGA Tour. 27 February 2007. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008.
  34. ^ a b "BBC – Rob Hodgetts: The greatest Open ever?". BBC News. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  35. ^ Turnberry Resort – "Duel in the Sun" sports bar Archived 3 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine accessed 14 July 2009
  36. ^ "World's 100 Greatest Golf Courses". Golf Digest. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  37. ^ "National Club Golfer". National Club Golfer.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Golf Courses". Top 100 Golf Courses.
  39. ^ "Best Golf Resorts in Europe 2023". www.leadingcourses.com. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  40. ^ "Golf World Top 100: Best Sustainable Golf Courses in Europe". Today's Golfer. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  41. ^ Bisset, Elliott Heath published Contributions from Fergus; Ellwood, Jeremy; Smith, Rob (11 April 2023). "Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland 2023/24". Golf Monthly Magazine. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  42. ^ "Trump Turnberry - Scotland Hotels - Ayrshire, United Kingdom". Forbes Travel Guide. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  43. ^ Campbell & Satterley 1999, p. 139.
  44. ^ Golf.com – "Duel in the Sun" Archived 17 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine – accessed 14 July 2009
  45. ^ "Duel in the Sun", Telegraph.co.uk; accessed 14 July 2009.
  46. ^ Campbell & Satterley 1999, p. 140.
  47. ^ Roberts, Daniel (14 December 2015). "Donald Trump Suffers Another Hit to His Golf Empire". Fortune. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  48. ^ "Donald Trump's Turnberry golf club to no longer host The Open tournament amid anger over controversial remarks". The Independent. 12 December 2015. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015.
  49. ^ "Trump's Request of an Ambassador: Get the British Open for Me". The New York Times. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  50. ^ "Trump National stripped of 2022 US PGA Championship". BBC Sport. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  51. ^ "Karrie Webb (AUS): Weetabix Women's British Open". Ladies European Tour. 11 August 2002. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  52. ^ "Future venues". Ricoh Women's British Open. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.

Sources

  • Barrett, Ted; Hobbs, Michael (1999). The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Golf: The Definitive Illustrated Guide to World Golf Revised and Updated Edition (4th ed.). Carlton. ISBN 978-1-858-68881-7.
  • Coyne, Tom (2018). A Course Called Scotland: Searching the Home of Golf for the Secret to Its Game. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-476-75430-7.
  • Campbell, Malcolm; Satterley, Glyn (1999). The Scottish Golf Book. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 978-1-583-82053-7.
  • Christopher, John; McCutcheon, Campbell (2014). Bradshaw's Guide Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-445-63404-3.
  • Corcoran, Michael (2010). Duel in the Sun: Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in the Battle of Turn. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-439-14192-2.
  • Posnanski, Joe (2016). The Secret of Golf: The Story of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-476-76644-7.
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