Scotland · Scotland · Willie Fernie / Mackenzie Ross
Turnberry Resort — Ailsa Course
James Kinloch
Golf Travel Specialist · played this course
Turnberry Ailsa is the most visually dramatic golf course I have ever played. The lighthouse at the 9th tee, Ailsa Craig rising from the Firth of Clyde beyond, the sound of waves below the clifftop holes — there are photographs of this course that have driven more people to Scotland than any brochure.
The course itself is outstanding, not merely scenic. The restored Mackenzie Ross design is firm and fast, playing links golf in its truest sense — bump-and-run approaches, wind as a genuine playing partner, greens that defend themselves without visible tricks. The ninth tee by the lighthouse might be the finest spot to stand in Scottish golf.
The hotel is one of the grandest in Europe. The green fee reflects both the course and the facility. Neither overcharges.
Signature hole
Par-3 9th, 'Bruce's Castle', 149 yards
"The lighthouse stands immediately behind the tee. Ailsa Craig is straight ahead beyond the green. The Irish Sea is below. There is no golf shot that deserves a more magnificent backdrop."
Designer
Willie Fernie / Mackenzie Ross
Par
70
Yardage
7,204
Green fee
from £295
Best for
Best time to go
May to September. Sunset rounds in June and July are extraordinary.
Play Turnberry
James can arrange tee times, transfers, and accommodation around this course. One call is all it takes.
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