Set along some of the country’s most spectacular coastline, under the watchful gaze of the iconic lighthouse, Turnberry is a truly spectacular place for a golf break. The Ailsa has been well-known to the world since Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson’s legendary duel in 1977.
Looking out to sea and the imposing Ailsa Craig, Turnberry boasts some world-class holes. Perhaps the best of them all is the tenth; from a remote tee set atop a rocky cliff-top promontory, the drive is across the corner of the bay, and offers visitors a glimpse of the site of Bruce’s Castle, home to Scotland’s 14th century King, Robert the Bruce. The narrow path and the tee shot itself are not for the faint-hearted, but are typical of Turnberry’s dramatic setting.
Ailsa Course
The Ailsa Course at Turnberry is regarded by many as the best links course in Scotland, and will make a welcome return to the Open Championship scene when it hosts the world’s best in 2009.
Kintyre Course
Turnberry is fortunate enough to actually boast two quality links courses: like the Ailsa, the Kintyre (formerly called the Arran) was rescued from near extinction by architect Mackenzie Ross in the 1950s. At the Kintyre, fortunate visitors will experience fast, undulating greens, tight links turf, magnificent holes along the shoreline and glorious views of Kintyre, Arran and the lighthouse. The signature hole is undoubtedly the 8th, where following an elevated tee shot, golfers face a dramatic blind approach to a green set in a gully flanked by rocks.