Courtesy of Trump Turnberry
Trump Turnberry’s Ailsa course reopened on June 1 following an eagerly anticipated refurbishment.
One of the world’s great links courses has been closed since last October when architect Martin Ebert – who first reimagined the course in 2015 – returned to Scotland’s Ayrshire coast to lead a $1.3 million renovation.
Headlining the latest changes are the seventh and eighth holes, which come in a key stretch on the front nine culminating in the par-3 ninth, one of the most photographed holes in golf in the shadow of the famous Turnberry Lighthouse.
The putting surface of the par-5 seventh has been relocated from its old position some 50 yards inland to a new site directly on the rugged coastline, creating one of the most dramatic greens in the British Isles.
Meanwhile, the par-4 eighth hole has benefitted from new tee boxes that straighten the fairway and eliminate the former blind approach shot, elevating the hole’s visual appeal. A bunker on the right of the old fairway has been replaced with a new sand trap on the left to better suit the new alignment.
“On the new seventh hole, we wanted to make the most of Turnberry’s stunning location by moving the green right to the coastal edge,” Ebert said. “There aren’t many links courses where you have greens right on the cliff edge — so that is very special in its own right.
“For hole eight, it made a lot of sense to move the tees over to the right and produce a much better hole. The tee shot will be far improved with the new alignment, making the hole visually stunning from your first shot to your last.”
To accompany the significant changes on these holes, other notable enhancements have been made, including new banking behind the 12th and 15th greens, changes to the 13th hole, and tee box updates on Nos. 14 and 17.
“We, together with the owner, are always looking for ways to elevate the entire offering at Trump Turnberry,” general manager Nic Oldham said. “This includes the Ailsa and there is nobody better than Martin Ebert when it comes to taking this course to a new level.
“We look forward to welcoming guests back to experience the best ever iteration of this historic course, including the seventh hole – which now boasts one of the most picturesque and thrilling greens in the UK – and a much-improved new alignment for the eighth.”
The Ailsa is a four-time host of The Open — in 1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009 — the first of which resulted in the famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus.
Ebert also is responsible for the design of the King Robert the Bruce, Turnberry’s other championship layout.