Turnberry: the history, courses and landmarks behind a Scottish golf escape

Scotland has a central place in golf history, and Turnberry combines coastal links golf with more than a century of resort history on the Ayrshire coast. This guide sets out the site's development, its current courses and practical points to consider when planning a visit.

Turnberry looks across the sea towards Ailsa Craig. Its lighthouse, built in 1873, stands beside the golf course on the site associated with Turnberry Castle. Golf was played around nearby Girvan by 1751, but a formal course at Turnberry did not appear until the end of the nineteenth century. Archibald Kennedy, the Third Marquess of Ailsa, had previously declined proposals for a club on his estate. In 1896, his involvement with the railway and the prospect of linking Ayr, Turnberry and Girvan helped make the development viable. Willie Fernie's first course opened on 6 July 1901.

The new links soon attracted competitive golf. Seven years after opening, Turnberry staged its first professional tournament, with 1907 Open champion Arnaud Massy among the field. A contemporary report in Golf Illustrated predicted that the course would develop into one of the country's leading links. The hotel opened in 1906; the resort's official history describes the combined hotel and golf development as Britain's first purpose-planned golf resort.

Military use changed the site during both world wars. In the First World War, parts of the links were levelled for an air base, the Royal Flying Corps trained there and wounded personnel recovered at the hotel. After the war, James Braid substantially redesigned the No. 2 course in 1923. The No. 1 course was revised three years later, when the two courses took the names Ailsa and Arran. During the Second World War, the hotel again served as a hospital and the courses became a Royal Air Force flying school. Heavy aircraft and wartime infrastructure caused extensive damage. After the railways were nationalised, British Transport Hotels chairman Frank Hole asked Suttons to oversee restoration of the links.

Visitors now have several options at the resort:

1. The Ailsa Course is the championship course and has hosted The Open four times. Its coastal setting and tournament history make it the main draw for golfers seeking the best-known Turnberry experience.

2. The King Robert the Bruce Course measures 7,203 yards. It provides a second 18-hole option with views across the Ayrshire coast and features connected to the area's history.

3. Non-golf activities advertised by the resort include spa facilities, horse riding and outdoor pursuits. The 24-metre lighthouse is one of the site's principal landmarks. Availability, access and opening arrangements should be checked directly with the relevant operator before travel.

Tee times, accommodation, access and current opening arrangements should be checked through official operator channels before travel. Travellers can also allow time for other parts of the Ayrshire coast rather than treating the visit solely as a round of golf.

Turnberry offers a combination of links golf, coastal scenery and documented twentieth-century history. Its two current courses suit different itineraries, while the lighthouse and wider resort provide context for visitors who want to understand how the site developed.