Turnberry Ailsa Course
The Ailsa is the most theatrical of all the Open links, a stretch of golf that runs out to a lighthouse on the rocks with the hump of Ailsa Craig offshore and the Mull of Kintyre on the horizon. It staged the 1977 Duel in the Sun, and after Martin Ebert pushed the middle holes hard against the cliffs it is more dramatic than ever.
Photo: Trump Turnberry Ailsa Golf Course via Google, contributor Kolaz Golf.
The verdict
For sheer spectacle nothing in Britain matches the run from the ninth to the eleventh at Turnberry. Ebert's 2016 reworking sent the course out along the shoreline that Mackenzie Ross always wanted to use, with the new par 3 ninth, Bruce's Castle, played from a tee on a rocky promontory beneath the lighthouse to a green on the cliff edge. It is the most photographed sequence in Scottish golf, and it earns the hype.
This is also a serious championship test, not just a pretty one. The Ailsa rewards control off the tee and nerve into firm, fast greens, and the wind off the Firth of Clyde can turn a benign card into a brutal one within an hour. The price of entry is now the highest in the game, but for many travelling golfers a round here, lighthouse and all, is the single most memorable day of a Scottish trip.
Turnberry Ailsa at a glance
- Founded
- 1906 (Ailsa reborn 1951)
- Designer
- Mackenzie Ross 1951, Martin Ebert 2016
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- 7,489 yds
- Green fee
- From £315 to £1,000
Designer, par and yardage verified June 2026. Turnberry opened in 1906; the Ailsa was rebuilt by Mackenzie Ross in 1951 after wartime use as an airfield, and reworked along the coast by Martin Ebert in 2016. It plays par 70 at around 7,489 yards from the championship tees. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees run from around 315 pounds off peak to 1,000 pounds for a peak morning tee time, with around 545 pounds after 1pm and a reduced rate for hotel guests. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Ailsa opens gently along the higher ground before turning for the sea, and the round only truly ignites at the par 5 seventh and the climb to the eighth, both reshaped by Ebert to frame the lighthouse. Then comes the famous trio. The ninth, Bruce's Castle, now a par 3, is played from a tee perched on the rocks with the lighthouse and the old wartime bunker behind the green, a forced carry over the bay that few holes anywhere can rival for drama.
The tenth, Dinna Fouter, runs along the cliff tops with the beach below and asks for a brave line off the tee, while the eleventh hugs the shore back inland. This is the heart of the modern Ailsa and the reason the course climbed back toward the top of every world ranking after the changes.
The closing stretch is pure championship golf. The par 3 fifteenth and the long par 4s home have decided Opens, and the eighteenth, played up to the hotel on its hill, is where Tom Watson edged Jack Nicklaus in 1977 in the greatest head to head the game has seen. Stewart Cink denied Watson a fairy tale here again in 2009.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A resort course at Trump Turnberry, open to visitors and hotel guests by booking; the resort also has the King Robert the Bruce course and a par 3 nine |
| Green fee | From around 315 pounds off peak to 1,000 pounds for a peak morning visitor tee time in 2026, with around 545 pounds after 1pm and a reduced rate for hotel guests (indicative) |
| Booking | Book well ahead through the resort; hotel guests and members are given priority on peak tee times, which is why the four figure visitor fee exists |
| On the day | A walking course with caddies and buggies available; the Turnberry hotel above the links is one of Scotland's grand golf hotels |
| Getting there | On the Ayrshire coast about 50 minutes south of Glasgow and its airport by car, near Girvan and Maidens |
| Best months | May to September for firm turf and the longest evenings, though the Ailsa is exposed and the wind is rarely still |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The Turnberry hotel itself, the white clifftop landmark above the links, is the obvious and grandest base, and staying there unlocks the better tee times and rates on the Ailsa. Rooms look out over the course to the lighthouse and Ailsa Craig.
For a wider Ayrshire trip, the towns of Ayr, Troon and Prestwick to the north put you within half an hour of Royal Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes, so most groups pair Turnberry with the Open courses up the coast and base themselves where the golf is densest.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Turnberry Ailsa.
Stay and play Turnberry and the Ayrshire coast
We book the Ailsa at the right time of day, secure rooms at the Turnberry hotel, and build the week around Royal Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Turnberry Ailsa questions
Who designed the Ailsa Course at Turnberry?
The Ailsa was rebuilt by the architect Mackenzie Ross in 1951, after the links was used as an airfield in the Second World War. Martin Ebert reworked the holes along the shoreline in 2016, adding the cliff edge ninth, Bruce's Castle, and reshaping the middle of the round.
What is the par and yardage of the Ailsa Course?
The Ailsa plays as a par 70 of around 7,489 yards from the championship tees. Its defence is the wind off the Firth of Clyde, fast greens and a dramatic run of holes along the cliffs.
How much does it cost to play Turnberry's Ailsa?
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees run from around 315 pounds off peak to 1,000 pounds for a peak morning tee time, with around 545 pounds after 1pm and a lower rate for hotel guests. Fees change by season, so always confirm directly before booking.
How many Opens has Turnberry hosted?
The Ailsa has staged the Open Championship four times, in 1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009. The 1977 Open, won by Tom Watson over Jack Nicklaus, is remembered as the Duel in the Sun.
Can visitors play Turnberry?
Yes. The Ailsa is a resort course at Trump Turnberry and welcomes visitors and hotel guests by booking. Staying at the resort gives priority on peak tee times and a reduced green fee.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.