The Ailsa

About Turnberry's Ailsa Course

The Ailsa course, designed by Willie Fernie in 1901, has faced threats during both World Wars when it was repurposed as an airbase, with remnants of landing strips still visible today. Architect Philip Mackenzie Ross restored the course to its current impressive layout, featuring a dramatic back nine and challenging greens. Among its most iconic holes is the 9th, where the lighthouse towers over a narrow path, and the drive across the bay tests even the most seasoned golfers.

The Ailsa has hosted The Open four times, most famously during the 1977 "Duel in the Sun," when Tom Watson edged out Jack Nicklaus in a thrilling finish on the 18th. After its acquisition by the Trump Organization in 2016, architect Martin Ebert made significant enhancements, including the addition of a breathtaking ocean-edge par 3 and revamping bunkers with a rugged edge.

Ranked No. 8 in Golf Digest’s 2024 World's 100 Greatest Golf Courses, the Ailsa demands skill, precision, and power, with coastal winds and breathtaking scenery of the Isle of Arran, the Mull of Kintyre, and Ailsa Craig making it a truly unforgettable experience.”

A Brief History

• The course became an air base during both World Wars, and the now-disused runway can still be seen
• A memorial to honour lost airmen on the hill can be found overlooking the 12th green
• The course underwent a name change in 1926 to The Ailsa, a name that remains still today
• After WW2, course designer Mackenzie Ross restored the Ailsa, which re-opened in 1951 as a classic seaside links
• The Ailsa offers 5 of the world's best par-3s

Featured holes – Holes 9 & 10

The new 9th hole is your nemesis at Ailsa. This hole is stand-out even amongst the best players in the game and rightly deserving of trepidation! It is an exceptional and awe-inspiring par three where you play right across the bay, actually launching your tee shot over the waves. The 10th hole has also been transformed into one of the planet's finest par fives, a hole which provocatively arcs around the bay, issuing a challenging dare to even the world’s finest golfing talent.

Known For: Showcasing One of Scotland's Most Scenic Courses

The Ailsa is famed for its breathtaking beauty and theatricality, having hosted The Open Championship four times. It sits on top of a craggy headland that overlooks the island of Ailsa Craig, the course's namesake, and the Firth of Clyde. Breathtaking views over the Mull of Kintyre and the spectacular Isle of Arran mean you will not know which way to look. In addition to its sheer visual appeal, this is the place where 59-year-old Tom Watson famously lost a 4-hole playoff to Stewart Cink at the 2009 Open, a game that has never been forgotten, as well as the legendary 1977 "Duel in the Sun" between Watson and Jack Nicklaus.