There's been a lot of noise on the subject of Turnberry's ownership in the debate about whether the world-renowned Ailsa course should once again host The Open, with the head of the R&A reiterating in November that there are no immediate plans to bring any of its major championships to the South Ayrshire resort.
“We will not be taking any events there until we are comfortable that the whole dialogue will be about golf,” Martin Slumbers told the Golf Channel. “That situation is something we’re still not comfortable with at the moment, but that could evolve in the coming years.”
That last bit potentially leaves the door somewhat ajar, but Mr Slumbers retired as the chief executive of the R&A in December to be replaced by former Northampton Saints chief Mark Darbon. Officials at Trump Turnberry are now hoping to strike up a dialogue with the new man in charge.
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But the controversy of Donald Trump's ownership isn't the only thing overshadowing the possibility of Turnberry's return to The Open rota.
Roughly 123,000 spectators made the trip to Turnberry when the resort last hosted the event in 2009, a number dwarfed by the mega-crowds of more recent years. More than 258,000 people passed through the gates at Royal Troon this past summer, while the biggest-ever event, the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022, pulled in a crowd of 290,000.
Turnberry was given the 2009 Open despite concerns about road access, and those logistical headaches would be multiplied by modern-day crowds. But with or without The Open, Trump Turnberry is going from strength to strength.
Renowned architect Martin Ebert has overseen extensive renovations and enhancements during the past several years, including changes to the 7th and 8th holes that will be unveiled this spring. Meanwhile, the wider resort clocked up an impressive surge in profits in its latest financial year, with golf revenues up by 35%.
At a cost of up to £1,000 it is an incredibly expensive round of golf, but there's no arguing its status as a world-class golfing destination.
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