Turnberry
Encyclopedia
Turnberry is a golf
resort on the coast of the outer Firth of Clyde
in southwestern Scotland
. Located in South Ayrshire
on the rugged coast, it comprises three links
golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star
hotel
, designed by James Miller
and completed in 1906, as well as lodge and cottage accommodations. The prominent rock island Ailsa Craig
is readily visible to the west.
The property was used as an airbase during World War I
, and a landing strip built for this purpose still exists, now disused. During this period, the Royal Flying Corps
trained pilots in the arts of aerial gunnery and combat, and the Turnberry Hotel was used as a hospital for the wounded. After the war, courses 1 and 2 were rebuilt and renamed "Ailsa" and "Arran". A memorial to honour lost airmen was erected on the hill overlooking the 12th green of Ailsa and still remains.
The cycle was repeated for World War II
. The hotel was commissioned as a hospital, and the golf courses were seconded for air training for the RAF
; it is thought that as many as 200 died at the base.
Designer Mackenzie Ross
is credited with restoring the courses to their high quality, and the Ailsa course was re-opened in 1951, a seaside links with stunning views of Ailsa Craig
and the Isle of Arran
.
The hotel was bought by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in 1997, and until October 2008 was operated under the Westin brand. In October 2008, Leisurecorp
, Dubai World
's sport and leisure subsidiary, purchased the resort, with Starwood Hotels & Resorts continuing to manage operations under the The Luxury Collection brand.
The Ailsa Course, redesigned by Mackenzie Ross
between 1949 and 1951, has staged The Open Championship
on four occasions (1977
, 1986
, 1994
, and 2009
). It has also hosted many other important golf tournaments, including the Women's British Open
in 2002, the Walker Cup
in 1963, the Amateur Championship in 1961, 1983, 1996, and 2008, and the Senior Open Championship
on six occasions, 1987–90, 2003, and 2006.
The other two courses at Turnberry are the Kintyre Course and the nine-hole Arran Course. The Kintyre Course, opened in 2001, is another championship standard course that has hosted final qualifying for The Open. It was designed by Donald Steel and built on the foundations of the old Arran layout, which had been rebuilt along with the Ailsa Course following World War II
. During the war, the resort was used as a hospital and the courses were flattened and paved for use as a major RAF
airfield. The new Arran Course opened in 2002.
Other golf facilities at the resort include the Colin Montgomerie
Links Golf Academy, and a pitch and putt
course.
In 2003 the 18th hole on the Ailsa Course, "Ailsa Hame", was renamed "Duel in the Sun" as homage to the battle between Watson and Nicklaus in 1977; this is also the name of a sports bar at the resort.
in 1977
, the course was the scene of the famous "Duel in the Sun", when Tom Watson
claimed a classic victory, one stroke ahead of Jack Nicklaus
.
The two were paired during the final two rounds and finished well ahead of the rest of the field. They posted identical scores for the first three rounds, and were tied through the 16th hole of the final round. Nicklaus missed a short birdie putt on the par-5 17th hole to tie Watson, who had reached in two and birdied. On the par-4 18th hole, Nicklaus recovered from the rough to sink a lengthy birdie putt, which forced Watson to sink his short birdie putt to win, which he did. It was Watson's second of five Open titles; he had been down two strokes on the 13th tee and had bested Nicklaus by three shots over the final six holes.
Nine years later in 1986
, Greg Norman
claimed the first of his two Opens (his only major
titles), winning by five strokes. Nick Price
won his second major (and only Open) in 1994
, a single stroke victory over Jesper Parnevik
. After a fifteen year absence, the Ailsa Course hosted the Open in 2009
, where a 59 year-old Tom Watson
nearly won his sixth Open Championship. Watson bogeyed the 72nd hole and then lost a 4-hole playoff with Stewart Cink
by six strokes. Cink birdied the 72nd hole and then posted two pars and two birdies in the playoff to win his first major title.
The Open Championship
winners at Turnberry, all played on the par-70 Ailsa Course:
at Turnberry.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
resort on the coast of the outer Firth of Clyde
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
in southwestern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Located in South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
on the rugged coast, it comprises three links
Links (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, designed by James Miller
James Miller (architect)
James Miller was a Scottish architect and artist. He is noted for his many buildings in Glasgow and for his Scottish railway stations. Among these are the heavily American-influenced Union Bank building at 110-20 St Vincent Street; his 1901-1905 extensions to Glasgow Central railway station; and...
and completed in 1906, as well as lodge and cottage accommodations. The prominent rock island Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig is an island of 219.69 acres in the outer Firth of Clyde, Scotland where blue hone granite was quarried to make curling stones. "Ailsa" is pronounced "ale-sa", with the first syllable stressed...
is readily visible to the west.
The property was used as an airbase during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and a landing strip built for this purpose still exists, now disused. During this period, the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
trained pilots in the arts of aerial gunnery and combat, and the Turnberry Hotel was used as a hospital for the wounded. After the war, courses 1 and 2 were rebuilt and renamed "Ailsa" and "Arran". A memorial to honour lost airmen was erected on the hill overlooking the 12th green of Ailsa and still remains.
The cycle was repeated for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The hotel was commissioned as a hospital, and the golf courses were seconded for air training for the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
; it is thought that as many as 200 died at the base.
Designer Mackenzie Ross
Mackenzie Ross
Philip Mackenzie Ross was a Scottish golf course architect who worked throughout Europe developing golf courses in France, Spain and Portugal as well as the United Kingdom. After 1945 he carried out a great deal of remodeling and restoration and in 1949 completed Southerness, in southwest...
is credited with restoring the courses to their high quality, and the Ailsa course was re-opened in 1951, a seaside links with stunning views of Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig
Ailsa Craig is an island of 219.69 acres in the outer Firth of Clyde, Scotland where blue hone granite was quarried to make curling stones. "Ailsa" is pronounced "ale-sa", with the first syllable stressed...
and the Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran
Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
.
The hotel was bought by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in 1997, and until October 2008 was operated under the Westin brand. In October 2008, Leisurecorp
Leisurecorp
Leisurecorp, formerly Istithmar Leisure, is a subsidiary of Dubai World, established in 2006, that invests in sports and leisure facilities, with golf being a particular focus....
, Dubai World
Dubai World
Dubai World is an investment company that manages and supervises a portfolio of businesses and projects for the Dubai government across a wide range of industry segments and projects that promote Dubai as a hub for commerce and trading. It is the emirate's flag bearer in global investments and has...
's sport and leisure subsidiary, purchased the resort, with Starwood Hotels & Resorts continuing to manage operations under the The Luxury Collection brand.
The golf courses
Mackenzie Ross
Philip Mackenzie Ross was a Scottish golf course architect who worked throughout Europe developing golf courses in France, Spain and Portugal as well as the United Kingdom. After 1945 he carried out a great deal of remodeling and restoration and in 1949 completed Southerness, in southwest...
between 1949 and 1951, has staged The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
on four occasions (1977
1977 Open Championship
The 1977 Open Championship, sometimes called the "Duel in the Sun", was a golf competition held at Turnberry, Scotland, in July 1977. The competition was won by Tom Watson....
, 1986
1986 Open Championship
The 1986 Open Championship was the 115th Open Championship held from 17-20 July at the Turnberry Golf Resort at The Westin Turnberry Resort, Scotland. Greg Norman won his first major championship by five strokes over Gordon J. Brand...
, 1994
1994 Open Championship
The 1994 Open Championship was the 123rd Open Championship held from 14-17 July at Turnberry Golf Resort, Scotland. Nick Price won his second major championship by one stroke over Jesper Parnevik.-First round:-Second round:...
, and 2009
2009 Open Championship
The 2009 Open Championship was the 138th Open Championship, one of the four major golf championships, and was played from 16–19 July at the Turnberry Resort, in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the fourth time The Open Championship had been played at Turnberry...
). It has also hosted many other important golf tournaments, including the Women's British Open
Women's British Open
The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons...
in 2002, the Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
in 1963, the Amateur Championship in 1961, 1983, 1996, and 2008, and the Senior Open Championship
Senior British Open Championship
The Senior Open Championship, or simply The Senior Open is a professional golf tournament for men aged 50 and over. It is run by The R&A, the same body that organises The Open Championship. Prize money won in the event is official money on both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour...
on six occasions, 1987–90, 2003, and 2006.
The other two courses at Turnberry are the Kintyre Course and the nine-hole Arran Course. The Kintyre Course, opened in 2001, is another championship standard course that has hosted final qualifying for The Open. It was designed by Donald Steel and built on the foundations of the old Arran layout, which had been rebuilt along with the Ailsa Course following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, the resort was used as a hospital and the courses were flattened and paved for use as a major RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airfield. The new Arran Course opened in 2002.
Other golf facilities at the resort include the Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
Links Golf Academy, and a pitch and putt
Pitch and putt
Pitch and putt is an amateur sport, similar to golf. The maximum hole length for international competitions is with a maximum total course length of . Players may only use three clubs; one of which must be a putter...
course.
In 2003 the 18th hole on the Ailsa Course, "Ailsa Hame", was renamed "Duel in the Sun" as homage to the battle between Watson and Nicklaus in 1977; this is also the name of a sports bar at the resort.
Ailsa Course scorecard
| Hole | Name | Yardage | Par | Hole | Name | Yardage | Par | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ailsa Craig | 354 | 4 | 10 | Dinna Fouter | 456 | 4 | |
| 2 | Mak Siccar | 428 | 4 | 11 | Maidens | 175 | 3 | |
| 3 | Blaw Wearie | 489 | 4 | 12 | Monument | 451 | 4 | |
| 4 | Woe-Be-Tide | 166 | 3 | 13 | Tickly Tap | 410 | 4 | |
| 5 | Fin Me Oot | 474 | 4 | 14 | Risk-An-Hope | 448 | 4 | |
| 6 | Tappie Toorie | 231 | 3 | 15 | Ca' Canny | 206 | 3 | |
| 7 | Roon The Ben | 538 | 5 | 16 | Wee Burn | 455 | 4 | |
| 8 | Goat Fell | 454 | 4 | 17 | Lang Whang | 559 | 5 | |
| 9 | Bruce's Castle | 449 | 4 | 18 | Duel in the Sun | 461 | 4 | |
| Out | 3583 | 35 | In | 3621 | 35 | |||
| Total | 7204 | 70 | ||||||
The Open Championship
At its first Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in 1977
1977 Open Championship
The 1977 Open Championship, sometimes called the "Duel in the Sun", was a golf competition held at Turnberry, Scotland, in July 1977. The competition was won by Tom Watson....
, the course was the scene of the famous "Duel in the Sun", when Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....
claimed a classic victory, one stroke ahead of Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
.
Nine years later in 1986
1986 Open Championship
The 1986 Open Championship was the 115th Open Championship held from 17-20 July at the Turnberry Golf Resort at The Westin Turnberry Resort, Scotland. Greg Norman won his first major championship by five strokes over Gordon J. Brand...
, Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
claimed the first of his two Opens (his only major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
titles), winning by five strokes. Nick Price
Nick Price
Nicholas Raymond Leige Price is a South African-Zimbabwean Professional golfer and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Background:...
won his second major (and only Open) in 1994
1994 Open Championship
The 1994 Open Championship was the 123rd Open Championship held from 14-17 July at Turnberry Golf Resort, Scotland. Nick Price won his second major championship by one stroke over Jesper Parnevik.-First round:-Second round:...
, a single stroke victory over Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Bo Parnevik is a Swedish professional golfer. He spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2000 and 2001.-Early years:...
. After a fifteen year absence, the Ailsa Course hosted the Open in 2009
2009 Open Championship
The 2009 Open Championship was the 138th Open Championship, one of the four major golf championships, and was played from 16–19 July at the Turnberry Resort, in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the fourth time The Open Championship had been played at Turnberry...
, where a 59 year-old Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....
nearly won his sixth Open Championship. Watson bogeyed the 72nd hole and then lost a 4-hole playoff with Stewart Cink
Stewart Cink
Stewart Ernest Cink is an American professional golfer who won the 2009 Open Championship. He has spent over 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 2004 to 2009.-Early years and education:...
by six strokes. Cink birdied the 72nd hole and then posted two pars and two birdies in the playoff to win his first major title.
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
winners at Turnberry, all played on the par-70 Ailsa Course:
| Year | |Winner | |Country | |Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | |||
| 2009 2009 Open Championship The 2009 Open Championship was the 138th Open Championship, one of the four major golf championships, and was played from 16–19 July at the Turnberry Resort, in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the fourth time The Open Championship had been played at Turnberry... |
Stewart Cink Stewart Cink Stewart Ernest Cink is an American professional golfer who won the 2009 Open Championship. He has spent over 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 2004 to 2009.-Early years and education:... 1st |
66 | 72 | 71 | 69 | 278 (-2)PO | |
| 1994 1994 Open Championship The 1994 Open Championship was the 123rd Open Championship held from 14-17 July at Turnberry Golf Resort, Scotland. Nick Price won his second major championship by one stroke over Jesper Parnevik.-First round:-Second round:... |
Nick Price Nick Price Nicholas Raymond Leige Price is a South African-Zimbabwean Professional golfer and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Background:... 1st |
69 | 66 | 67 | 66 | 268 (-12) | |
| 1986 1986 Open Championship The 1986 Open Championship was the 115th Open Championship held from 17-20 July at the Turnberry Golf Resort at The Westin Turnberry Resort, Scotland. Greg Norman won his first major championship by five strokes over Gordon J. Brand... |
Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... 1st |
74 | 63 | 74 | 69 | 280 (Even) | |
| 1977 1977 Open Championship The 1977 Open Championship, sometimes called the "Duel in the Sun", was a golf competition held at Turnberry, Scotland, in July 1977. The competition was won by Tom Watson.... |
Tom Watson Tom Watson (golfer) Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour.... 2nd |
68 | 70 | 65 | 65 | 268 (-12) |
- Note: Superscript number besides the player's name is the number of the Open Championship in their respective careers.
- In 2009, Stewart Cink tied for low aggregate with Tom Watson, and won a 4-hole playoff by six strokes. Watson was within 2 months of his 60th birthday at the time.
The Women's British Open
Winners of Women's British OpenWomen's British Open
The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons...
at Turnberry.
| Year | Winner | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Karrie Webb Karrie Webb Karrie Ann Webb AM is Australia's most successful female professional golfer, and one of the top players in the history of global women's golf. She currently plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and also turns out once or twice a year on the ALPG Tour in her home country. She is a member of... |
273 (-11) |