The majesty of Turnberry
Few venues can rival Turnberry, a four-time host of the Open Championship – and with self-catering cottages a stone’s throw from the first tee, you can shape your perfect golf break the way you want it.
The west coast of Scotland is one of golf’s hallowed grounds. While many still flock to the east, pulled in by the allure of St Andrews and the golfing haven that is Fife, a glut of world-class courses awaits out west where the coastline meets the Firth of Clyde – headlined by a resort that needs no introduction among golf fans.
For 118 years, Trump Turnberry has been a landmark of not just Scottish golf, but Scotland itself. The Edwardian hotel has evolved into an all-in-one resort with more than 200 rooms and suites, a line-up of gourmet restaurants and a golf course that is consistently found at the pinnacle of global rankings.
If you want the full west-coast links experience, Turnberry’s location also makes it the perfect place to base yourself if you want to experience the inimitable venues that the west coast of Scotland has to offer.
There is no shortage of five-star rooms and suites, but if you’re bringing a group, the resort’s self-catering cottages and villas may be exactly what you’re looking for. Offering complete privacy and independence, they give you the freedom to prepare your own meals at all times, coming and going as your tee times dictate. As well as two opulent bedrooms, each has a well-appointed kitchen and spacious sitting room perfect for spending time with your group after a round at one of the many nearby golf clubs.
If you don’t feel like cooking, three on-site restaurants serve locally sourced and expertly prepared dishes, including the signature 1906, a nod to the year the resort was founded. The award-winning Spa at Turnberry is just a swing away and boasts facilities to suit every need: saunas, sensory showers and treatment rooms. If you’re after an extra thrill to fill the gaps between rounds of golf, Turnberry Adventures is a packed list of outdoor activities ranging from kayaking and archery to falconry and quad-biking.
However, the main event in Ayrshire is undeniably the golf, and there are plenty of bucket-list courses in the region to choose from. The first is quite literally a stone’s throw from your cottage door.
There are few golf courses anywhere as iconic as the Ailsa, and fewer still that boast as rich a history. In the summer of 1977, Turnberry hosted the Open Championship for the first time. The tournament culminated in a 36-hole showdown between legendary players Jack Nicklaus – still considered by some to be the greatest of all time – and Tom Watson.
In what would become known as The Duel in the Sun, Watson edged out his only challenger to claim victory on the 18th hole. The Open would return to the Ailsa three more times in 1986, 1994 and 2009, but the first will forever be remembered as one of the best spectacles golf has ever seen.
The course today has evolved considerably since the days of Watson and Nicklaus, most notably at the hands of acclaimed architect Martin Ebert, whose renovations in 2016 fired the Ailsa even higher up the global rankings. Ebert spent eight months reworking every single hole, shortening some and lengthening others to make the most of the spectacular coastal setting. While there’s no shying away from the fact that it can be a tough test, it remains an unforgettable experience for players of all levels – and there are always shorter tee options available.
The Ailsa is so revered that you would be forgiven for forgetting that Turnberry is actually a 45-hole venue, including the championship-standard King Robert the Bruce. While the resort’s second layout is a fair bit younger (only opening in 2017 after a major redesign of the old Kintyre course), it more than holds its own in both quality and natural beauty. Both courses feature coastal and inland holes, an authentic links challenge elevated by the ingenuity of Ebert. At the centre of it is the famous Turnberry Lighthouse, which has dominated the skyline for over 150 years.
Today the lighthouse is home to an award-winning halfway house, regularly referred to as the best in the world, and a luxurious suite, serving as the backdrop for the Ailsa’s signature hole – the par-three ninth. Golf at Turnberry also includes the nine-hole Arran, the family-friendly Wee Links pitch-and-putt and a state-of-the-art Golf Academy, so even when you’re not tackling the championship courses there are plenty of opportunities to hone your skills.
There is more than enough at the resort to keep you busy for a whole trip, but if you want to venture out and explore the rest of the west coast, options are plentiful. Dundonald Links – a regular host on the Ladies European Tour and now an award-winning modern resort in its own right – is just 40 minutes away by car, with a notoriously stern test designed by links maestro Kyle Phillips.
Just over the road from Dundonald, the history-rich Western Gailes is another course that every golfer should play at least once. That is without mentioning iconic Open hosts Royal Troon and Prestwick, the latter of which hosted the first dozen Open Championships back in the 19th century.
For those residing in Turnberry’s self-catering accommodations, Turnberry@Home stands ready to cater to your culinary desires. This exclusive service presents a tempting array of home-cooked dishes meticulously prepared by talented chefs and delivered to your villa or cottage so you can enjoy the freedom to heat and serve in the comfort of your own space, whenever the mood strikes.
Short breaks at Turnberry never go out of fashion, but with so much to do at the resort and in the surrounding area, it is easy to spend a week or more at this legendary resort. The Ailsa is a must-play for anyone who loves golf, but that’s not groundbreaking news – it is everything else you can experience here that makes Turnberry a crown jewel in the home of golf.