Four Opens beside the lighthouse, with Ailsa Craig out in the Firth of Clyde.
The Ailsa course at Turnberry runs along the South Ayrshire coast beneath a white lighthouse, with Ailsa Craig rising from the Firth of Clyde and the Isle of Arran to the north. It has hosted four Open Championships, including the 1977 “Duel in the Sun” between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. The resort, which dates from 1906 and has been owned by the Trump Organization since 2014, also has a second 18 and a nine-hole course. Access for non-residents is open but priced to favour hotel guests.
Tee times are booked through Turnberry’s online booking engine or by calling the resort on +44 (0)1655 331000. The resort does not publish its full rate card on its course pages, so prices below come from golf press reports. For summer 2026, non-residents were quoted £1,000 for peak tee times before the afternoon cut-off, £650 for a late-afternoon time, and hotel guests £475. Discounted rates booked with a room apply only to the dates of your stay. Management has said the pricing is designed to protect morning times for members and residents, so non-resident golfers should look at afternoon slots or the shoulder months.
Non-resident late-afternoon Ailsa fee, summer 2026, as listed by National Club Golfer. £1,000 at peak times; hotel guests £475. Shoulder and winter rates are lower but not published online. Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The Open venue (1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009) and the reason most golfers come. The coastal run from the 4th to the 11th, and the 9th by the lighthouse in particular, are the holes to see. Non-resident fees are highest before 1pm in summer.
Opened in 2017 on the site of the old Kintyre course, also reshaped by Martin Ebert, with its own holes on the headland and views to Arran. It is the cheaper route onto the Turnberry coast, and summer twilight offers have been advertised.
A nine-hole course inland of the hotel, suited to a late-afternoon loop, families or a warm-up on arrival day.
The Ailsa was rebuilt by Philip Mackenzie Ross after the Second World War, when the land had served as an airfield. Martin Ebert reworked it in 2016, moving the 9th tee and green onto the rocks so the par three plays across the sea towards the lighthouse and the ruins of Robert the Bruce’s castle. Holes 4 to 11 run consecutively beside the shore. A further round of changes in 2025 repositioned greens at the 7th and 8th and altered holes 12 to 15 and 17. The course measures 7,203 yards from the back tees, par 70, and it plays firm, with the prevailing wind off the water.
Decide early whether you will stay at the resort, because that choice drives the golf price more than the date does. If you are not staying, a late-afternoon Ailsa round in June or July still leaves several hours of daylight. Combine it with Royal Troon and Prestwick, both within 30 minutes, to make the most of an Ayrshire base. Turnberry also runs a golf academy if you want a lesson before the round.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is about 20 miles away, roughly half an hour by car. Glasgow Airport is about 55 miles, around an hour and ten minutes. The nearest railway station is Girvan, on the Glasgow–Stranraer line, about 15 minutes away by taxi.
Nearby: 1. Prestwick Golf Club (25 km) · 2. Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course) (26 km) · 3. Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club (30 km) · 4. Dundonald Links (32 km) · 5. Western Gailes Golf Club (32 km) · 6. Machrihanish Dunes (57 km) · Compare all Ayrshire tee times
The Turnberry hotel, a long Edwardian building on the hill above the course, has rooms and suites, plus separate accommodation in the converted lighthouse. Staying on site gives the lowest Ailsa rate. Nearby, Culzean Castle lets apartments on the top floor of the castle, and Ayr and Troon have a range of hotels within 30 to 40 minutes.
Royal Troon and Prestwick, birthplace of The Open in 1860, are the natural partners on an Ayrshire trip, with Western Gailes and Dundonald Links further up the coast. Girvan’s links, ten minutes south, is a low-cost round with sea views. Off the course, Culzean Castle and Country Park is five minutes north, and Burns Cottage in Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns, is about 25 minutes away.
These packages have a confirmed round at Trump Turnberry (Ailsa) in the itinerary, with the other courses, nights and hotels listed so you can compare like with like.
7 nights B&B, 5 rounds including an Old Course ballot attempt
Rounds: Turnberry Ailsa · Royal Troon Old Course · Muirfield · Carnoustie Championship
Stay: 2 nights in Troon, 2 in North Berwick, 3 in St Andrews
Four Open venues confirmed and a ballot try at a fifth, crossing Scotland west to east in one week.
Prices are Golfbreaks’ published per-person guide prices in US dollars, checked November 2026; your quote depends on dates and group size. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
Summer rates apply roughly from May to September, with the highest prices before the afternoon cut-off. October and spring bring lower fees. In mid-winter, mats may be used on the Ailsa. The Gulf Stream gives this coast a mild climate for Scotland.
Explore golf by monthYes. Non-residents can book Ailsa tee times, but they pay more than hotel guests. Summer 2026 press reports quoted £1,000 for peak morning times and £650 late in the afternoon, against £475 for those staying at the hotel.
Four: 1977, won by Tom Watson; 1986, won by Greg Norman; 1994, won by Nick Price; and 2009, won by Stewart Cink after a playoff with 59-year-old Tom Watson.
Glasgow Prestwick is about 20 miles north, around 30 minutes by car. Glasgow Airport is about an hour and ten minutes, with far more international connections.
Yes. King Robert the Bruce, opened in 2017, shares the coastline and costs considerably less than the Ailsa, with twilight deals advertised in summer. The nine-hole Arran is the lowest-cost option on site.
Last checked 4 October 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
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