Turnberry Kintyre Course
The second championship course at Turnberry, the Kintyre, now renamed the King Robert the Bruce Course, runs along the same glorious stretch of Ayrshire coast as the famous Ailsa. A par 72 of around 7,222 yards laid out by Donald Steel in 2001 and redesigned by Martin Ebert in 2017, it offers big coastal golf with views to Ailsa Craig and the Irish Sea, the perfect companion round to its celebrated neighbour.
Photograph: Turnberry King Robert the Bruce Course, via Google
The verdict
Turnberry is one of the great names in golf, and while the Ailsa Course gets the headlines as a former Open venue, the resort's second course is a serious links in its own right. Known for years as the Kintyre, it was laid out by Donald Steel in 2001 on the ground of the older Arran course, and in 2017 it was rebuilt by Martin Ebert, the architect behind the modern Ailsa restoration, and renamed the King Robert the Bruce Course. Whichever name you know it by, it shares the same magnificent coastline, with holes that run along the shore beneath the famous Turnberry lighthouse and out toward the great rock of Ailsa Craig.
For the traveling golfer the Kintyre is the natural second round of a Turnberry stay and a fine links on any measure. It does not carry the championship history of the Ailsa, but Ebert's redesign added drama and length, and the setting on the South Ayrshire coast is among the most beautiful in Scotland. Paired with the Ailsa and the rest of the Ayrshire links, it completes a trip to one of the most scenic golf coasts on earth, with the resort hotel watching over it all from the hill above.
The Kintyre Course at a glance
- Opened
- 2001
- Designer
- Steel; Ebert 2017
- Type
- Coastal links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 7,222 yds
- Access
- Resort course
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from course databases and resort sources. The Kintyre Course was created by Donald Steel in 2001 and redesigned by Martin Ebert in 2017, when it was renamed the King Robert the Bruce Course. It plays as a par 72 of around 7,222 yards and is the second course at the Turnberry resort. Indicative green fees vary widely by season and guest status, up to around 215 pounds in high season; fees change, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Kintyre divides into two characters. The opening stretch climbs into the higher, heathery ground of the estate, with holes that play across rougher, more inland terrain and offer the first glimpses of the sea, before the course descends toward the coast for the run that everyone remembers. Martin Ebert's 2017 redesign reworked the routing to bring more holes closer to the water, and the payoff is a sequence along the shore with the lighthouse, the dunes and Ailsa Craig filling the horizon.
The coastal holes are the heart of the round. Here the course plays as a proper links, firm underfoot, exposed to the wind off the Irish Sea, with greens set among the dunes and the beach never far from a wayward shot. The par 3s along the water are especially fine, demanding a controlled strike into the breeze, and the longer holes ask for the same low, running game that defines the best of Scottish coastal golf. It is golf with a constant sense of place, the sea on one side and the great links setting all around.
What stays with you is the location more than any single hole. The Kintyre will always live a little in the shadow of the Ailsa next door, but it shares that course's extraordinary coast, and Ebert's rebuild gave it more bite and better views. As the second course of a Turnberry trip it is a genuine pleasure, a big, scenic links that earns its place on one of the finest golf coastlines anywhere.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Resort course at Turnberry, open to visitor and resort guest play; book in advance, and resort guests typically get the best access and rates |
| Green fee | Indicative fees vary widely by season and guest status, up to around 215 pounds in high season, with lower shoulder rates; fees change, so always confirm directly before booking |
| Name | Known as the Kintyre Course from 2001 to 2017; redesigned by Martin Ebert and renamed the King Robert the Bruce Course in 2017 |
| Walking and caddies | A walking links; caddies and buggies can be arranged through the resort golf operation |
| Season | April to October is prime; the exposed coastline plays firm and fast in summer and demanding in a fresh sea wind |
| Getting there | At Turnberry on the South Ayrshire coast, about fifty minutes from Glasgow and a short drive south of Ayr and Prestwick airport |
Access and fees verified June 2026 from resort sources; they change by season, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about an Ayrshire golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
The obvious base is the Turnberry resort hotel itself, which sits on the hill above the courses with grand views down to the lighthouse and the sea, and resort guests enjoy the easiest access and best rates for both courses. For a wider trip, the towns along the Ayrshire coast and Glasgow, around fifty minutes north, give plenty of alternative bases within easy reach of the region's dense cluster of championship links.
Most golfers play the Kintyre alongside the Ailsa and the rest of the Ayrshire coast. Combine your Turnberry stay with the great Open links of Royal Troon's Old Course just up the coast, the modern championship test at Dundonald Links and the classic links of Glasgow Gailes for a trip that captures the best of southwest Scotland.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Ayrshire.
Build an Ayrshire golf trip
The Kintyre Course is the perfect second round of a Turnberry stay, on one of the great golf coasts of Scotland. We plan trips through southwest Scotland, secure tee times on both Turnberry courses and the wider Ayrshire links, arrange caddies and handle the lodging and the logistics. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Turnberry Kintyre questions
Is the Kintyre Course the same as the King Robert the Bruce Course?
Yes. The course was known as the Kintyre Course from 2001, when Donald Steel laid it out, until 2017, when Martin Ebert redesigned it and the resort renamed it the King Robert the Bruce Course. It is the second championship course at Turnberry, alongside the famous Ailsa.
Who designed the Turnberry Kintyre Course?
The Kintyre Course was created by Donald Steel, opening in 2001 on the site of the resort's earlier Arran course. It was redesigned by architect Martin Ebert and reopened in June 2017 as the King Robert the Bruce Course.
What is the par and yardage at the Kintyre Course?
The course plays as a par 72 of around 7,222 yards from the back tees, a coastal links running across the dunes and clifftops of the Turnberry estate with views out to Ailsa Craig and the Irish Sea.
Can visitors play the Turnberry Kintyre Course?
Yes. It is a resort course at Turnberry, open to visitor and resort guest play and bookable in advance. Indicative green fees have ranged widely by season and guest status, up to around 215 pounds in high season; always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, redesign, par, yardage and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.