Some golf photos don’t need captions. Picture a tousled strip of linksland along the Atlantic, watched over by a lighthouse with a humped rock just jutting out to sea and a hotel perched on the hill above it all. This is Trump Turnberrya four-time host of the Open Championship and several prestigious amateur events.
The Ailsa Course is in 18th place in the Top 100 Courses in the world of GOLF, while the award-winning King Robert the Bruce offers a distinct challenge alongside. Both courses have been transformed by Martin Ebert, most recently the Ailsa in 2025, strengthening Turnberry’s position as a world-class golfing destination.
You didn’t have to be there to recognize Trump Turnberry. But still, a little recognition can’t hurt before you go.
Next month, the resort will add another line to its resume when hosting Bridge Cupa three-day 24-player elite mid-amateur competition pitting 12 US players against 12 international team members in three days of four-ball, foursomes and singles matches. Now in its fourth edition, the event is making its first trip to Scotland, reaching an unmistakable milestone. Before the meetings begin, here’s a look at Trump Turnberry’s rich history and eight facts that make it a must-visit today.
1. The main event
Located on the west coast of Scotland, where the Atlantic laps the shore and the dunes rise and fall in restless shapes, Trump’s championship Turnberry Ailsa Course occupies a large swath of golf course. But it took time for the layout to take its current shape. Born in 1901, it was put to military use during World War I and saw its fairways flattened into airstrips during World War II.
In the early 1950s, Mackenzie Ross rebuilt the course essentially from scratch, creating a routing that still forms the backbone of the Ailsa. The layout opens up in the dunes before turning into an undulating stretch along the coast, where the lighthouse stretches onto the 9th green, then lands over the cliffs again on its way home.
In 2016, Ebert took the already-vaunted layout to another level, making fuller use of the jagged coastline. The famous 9th tee near the lighthouse remained in place, but the once-fed semi-blind, turtleback fairway did not survive the redesign. In its place stood a dramatic new par 3 that ran hard along the rocks. The 10th, once a par 4, became a demanding par 5, and the 11th moved closer to the water. Ebert also cut the 6th to make room for a new tee back to the home hole, marking the closing stretch. In 2025, Ebert refinished the Ailsa once again, lowering the fairway on the par-4 7th, which now curves more sharply to the left toward a rebuilt green horizon closer to the coast, backed by ocean views. The 8th tee has also been moved further in to align with the changes to the 7th hole.
2. The stuff of legend
Trump Turnberry has hosted the Open four times, but the first occasion, in 1977, remains the most legendary. With a final 65, Tom Watson edged Jack Nicklaus by one stroke in what became known as “The Duel in the Sun,” a sun-drenched battle that endures as one of the game’s most indelible events. The clubhouse restaurant is named for the couple, a cap-tip for an unforgettable week. Another page in the Trump Turnberry story involves what might have been, and Watson was also a central character in it. In 2009, at the age of 59, he came close to winning a sixth Claret Jug, losing in a playoff to Stewart Cink.
3. An iconic hotel
Opened in 1906, the hotel predates the modern Ailsa by decades and has guarded the coast for more than a century. Originally a railroad hotel, it served as a military hospital during both world wars and hosted a number of high-level political summits and US presidential visits dating back to the Eisenhower administration.
The Trump Organization purchased the property in 2014 and underwent extensive restoration. The hotel’s 103 rooms and suites have been overhauled, public areas have been refreshed and expanded and new dining and event spaces have been added, including the 1906 restaurant and a ballroom. The resort also landed a spot on the latest GOLF Top 100 Resorts in the world list
4. A room with a view
Built in 1873 by Thomas Stevenson, father of the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, the famous lighthouse of Trump Turnberry stands on the ruins of Turnberry Castle, which tradition says was the birthplace of the Scottish king and national hero Robert the Bruce, who liberated the country from England in the early 1300s. These days, the lighthouse serves a more luxurious purpose. Its upper floors contain a two-bedroom suite with sweeping views over the course and towards Ailsa Craig.
Courtesy Trump Turnberry
5. The biggest turnstile in golf?
The ground floor of the lighthouse is given to golfers, not overnight guests. It serves as a halfway stop between the 9th green and the 10th tee, with the wild coastline spreading into the distance. Not a bad place to grab a cup of soup, a Scottish pastry or a shot of whiskey. Or all of the above.
6. A second course fit for a king
Formerly known as Kintyre, Ailsa’s sister course reopened in 2017 as the King Robert the Bruce after a substantial renovation that was also led by Ebert. The project added four new holes on Bain’s Hill, including par 5s at No. 8 and 11, a cliff par 4 at No. 9 and a par-3 10th. Elsewhere, Ebert introduced a new wetland, expanded areas of sandy waste, opened up coastal views by removing currents and trees and strengthened bunkers throughout. The burn on the first hole was removed, while the 18th green was lowered to make it more receptive.
7. When 36 holes is not enough
Golf takes many forms at Trump Turnberry. A few steps from the hotel are both the Caingorms putting green and the Wee Links pitch and putt, sweet spots to hone your short game while enjoying a dram with your friends. Then there is Trump’s Twelve, a 12-hole, par-3 course, opened in August 2026 and with holes ranging from 70 to 206 yards. Various teeing grounds, rolling greens, sandy waste areas and water hazards add variety and intrigue to a short course designed to serve a wide audience, from beginners and families to accomplished players looking to mark their wedges.
8. A high-tech learning center
History runs deep in the resort, but so does a commitment to top-notch instruction. To the Trump Turnberry Golf AcademyPGA-certified golf instructors share their expertise in a facility equipped with an 11-bay covered Trackman range, Trackman simulators and other state-of-the-art technology that combines precision data with interactive play of closest-to-the-pin and long-drive competition, all displayed in real time on 32-inch screens. For those looking for answers on the ground, there are also grass tees, on grounds overlooking the lighthouse and the Firth of Clyde.
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