Trump Turnberry Ailsa: 2026 Access and Booking Update
New cliff edge holes, a thousand pound peak green fee and a long running question over the Open's return. Here is where the Ailsa stands in 2026 and how to book a round.
Photo via Google.
The news: new cliff holes and the Open question
Two threads run through the Ailsa's 2026 story. The first is on the ground: architect Martin Ebert has continued to refine the links, with recent work moving the par 5 seventh green out to the edge of the cliff and straightening the par 4 eighth so it frames the famous lighthouse, part of a roughly one million pound programme that sharpens what was already one of the most photogenic stretches in golf. The Ailsa today plays as long and as dramatic as it ever has.
The second thread is the Open. The R&A has kept Turnberry on its list of potential venues and chief executive Mark Darbon has called recent talks with Trump Golf constructive, but he has been clear that the hurdle is logistics rather than the golf course: road, rail and accommodation around the remote Ayrshire site need work before a modern Open of 250,000 spectators could return. With the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, 2027 at St Andrews and 2028 at Royal Lytham, any Turnberry return would be later in the decade at the earliest.
A four time Open links by the lighthouse
The Ailsa has hosted the Open Championship four times, including the 1977 Duel in the Sun between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, and it remains, in many rankings, the finest links in Britain. It plays as a par 71 stretching to roughly 7,489 yards along the Firth of Clyde, with the run from the ninth to the eleventh past the lighthouse, Ailsa Craig offshore and the Mull of Kintyre on the horizon counting among the most spectacular in the game. It is scenery and substance in equal measure.
It sits on the same Open rich Ayrshire coast as Royal Troon and Prestwick. The full facts box, signature holes and our verdict sit on our Turnberry Ailsa course page.
Indicative 2026 green fees and access
Turnberry prices at the very top of the British market and the gap between a morning and an afternoon tee time is large, so when you play matters almost as much as whether you stay at the resort. Treat the guide figures below as indicative and confirm the exact price and conditions for your dates when you book.
| When | Tee time | Indicative 18 holes |
|---|---|---|
| Peak season, morning | Non resident | up to around 1,000 pounds |
| Peak season, after 1pm | Non resident | around 545 pounds |
| Quieter dates and hotel guests | Resort rate | lower, on request |
Indicative 2026 guide rates; hotel guests get the best access and pricing and afternoon rounds cost far less than mornings. Prices and availability change, so always confirm directly before booking.
Turnberry sits on the south Ayrshire coast, around an hour and a half from Glasgow, more remote than Troon but unmatched for setting. The smart play is to stay at the resort, take an afternoon tee time for value, and build the rest of an Ayrshire week around it.
Our take
Our take is that the Ailsa is worth every step of the journey and, for most golfers, worth timing carefully on price. The course is as good as links golf gets and Ebert's cliff side work has only heightened the drama, but the morning green fee is among the steepest in the world, so the value play is an afternoon tee time as a resort guest. Whether or not the Open returns, this is a round to build a trip around once in a golfing life.
Pair it with Royal Troon and the rest of the coast using our best golf courses in Ayrshire ranking and the best Open Championship venues list. Set the base with our Ayrshire golf hub and Scotland golf holidays, then use plan my trip to put it together.
Plan your Ayrshire golf trip
Turnberry is the centrepiece of a classic Open coast week. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs a trip around the region's courses and hotels, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play the Ailsa course at Turnberry in 2026?
Yes. The Ailsa is open to resort guests and to outside visitors, with tee times booked ahead through the resort. Hotel guests get the best access and rates, and the prime summer slots go early, so book well in advance and expect premium pricing.
How much does the Ailsa course cost in 2026?
Turnberry sits at the very top of the market. Indicative peak season rates for non residents have reached around 1,000 pounds for a morning tee time, dropping to around 545 pounds after 1pm, with lower rates on quieter dates and for hotel guests. These are guide prices that move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
Will the Open Championship return to Turnberry?
Not yet confirmed. The R&A says the Ailsa remains on its list of potential Open venues and that talks with Trump Golf have been constructive, but chief executive Mark Darbon has pointed to road, rail and accommodation infrastructure as the main hurdles. The 2026 Open is at Royal Birkdale, 2027 at St Andrews and 2028 at Royal Lytham, so any Turnberry return would be later.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, course changes, Open history and infrastructure status, and indicative fees verified June 2026 from resort, golf media and R&A sources; rates, seasons and access change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.