Trump Turnberry King Robert the Bruce: 2026 Access and Booking Update
The second championship links at Trump Turnberry, transformed by Martin Ebert and renamed for the king born at Turnberry Castle, has stepped out of the Ailsa's shadow. Here is where the King Robert the Bruce stands in 2026, what green fees to expect, and how to play it.
The news: the second course nobody skips any more
For decades the second course at Turnberry lived in the long shadow of the Ailsa, the Open Championship links that wraps around the lighthouse. The 2017 redesign changed that. Martin Ebert of Mackenzie and Ebert pushed new holes up onto Bain's Hill and out toward the cliffs, then renamed the course for Robert the Bruce, born at Turnberry Castle in 1274. The result is a genuine championship test in its own right, a par 72 of 7,203 yards that shares the resort's turf, its sea air and its horizon of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran.
The point for 2026, with the Ailsa firmly in the conversation about a future Open return, is that the King Robert the Bruce has become a course travellers seek out rather than tack on. The resort prices and positions it as the natural companion round to the Ailsa, and the high ground holes give it views that rival anything on the famous neighbour.
The course, and the resort around it
The King Robert the Bruce climbs to higher ground than the Ailsa, and Ebert used that elevation to open up long coastal vistas, with gorse lined fairways, contoured greens and the lighthouse, Ailsa Craig and Arran filling the skyline. It is a fair, modern championship links that asks for accuracy off the tee and rewards a player who can manage the wind across exposed high holes. At 7,203 yards from the back it has real teeth, but multiple tees keep it enjoyable.
It sits within the Trump Turnberry resort on the Ayrshire coast, so it pairs immediately with the Ailsa for a two course day and folds into a wider Ayrshire trip alongside Royal Troon and Prestwick up the coast. As a stay and play base, the resort is among the most complete in Scotland.
How to play it in 2026
The King Robert the Bruce is open to visitors and resort guests, booked through Trump Turnberry and most often played as the second round alongside the Ailsa. The indicative visitor green fee in high season summer 2026 is around 250 pounds for eighteen holes, with lower rates for hotel guests and a reduced afternoon rate for Scottish residents. Treat those as indicative and confirm directly before booking, as resort rates move with the season and with hotel packages.
The smart play is to combine it with the Ailsa on a single day or a resort stay, when the package economics improve and you get both courses at their best. Summer tee times go early at Turnberry, so book well ahead, and travel between April and October for the firmest links conditions.
Our take
Our take is that the King Robert the Bruce is no longer a warm up for the Ailsa but a destination round in its own right. The Ebert redesign gave it scale, drama and views that hold their own beside one of the most famous links in the world, and on a clear day the high holes are worth the trip on their own.
If you are planning a 2026 Ayrshire trip, base yourself at Turnberry, play both courses, and add Royal Troon and Prestwick up the coast. Book the summer dates well ahead, weigh a resort package for the combined value, and confirm the current rate directly before you go.
Plan your Ayrshire golf trip
From both Turnberry courses to Royal Troon and Prestwick up the Ayrshire coast, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play the King Robert the Bruce course in 2026?
Yes. The King Robert the Bruce is open to visitors and resort guests, booked through Trump Turnberry, often as a second round alongside the Ailsa. A reduced afternoon rate for Scottish residents is available. Book ahead for summer dates.
What are the green fees at King Robert the Bruce for 2026?
The indicative visitor green fee in high season summer 2026 is around 250 pounds for eighteen holes, with lower rates for Trump Turnberry hotel guests and a reduced afternoon rate for Scottish residents. Treat these as indicative and confirm directly before booking.
Who designed the King Robert the Bruce course and what does it play?
Martin Ebert of Mackenzie and Ebert reworked the resort's former Kintyre layout and opened the King Robert the Bruce course in 2017. It is a par 72 links measuring 7,203 yards, built on the high ground of Bain's Hill, and named after Robert the Bruce, who was born at Turnberry Castle in 1274.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, access and fee details verified June 2026 from the resort and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.