Donald Trump is accustomed to getting what he wants. But there is one prize which remains stubbornly beyond his grasp, no matter how much money the billionaire US President throws at it or how many ears he bends.
That is the chance to host golf’s prestigious Open Championship at his premier Scottish golf resort.
Trump bought Turnberry in 2014 and promptly rebranded it Trump Turnberry, investing tens of millions of pounds. Since then, he has made no secret of his desire to bring The Open back to the venue which last hosted the event in 2009.
The 800-acre site in Ayrshire boasts a five-star hotel and three golf courses including the Ailsa Course, which has hosted four Open Championships.
Trump hired award-winning international golf architect Martin Ebert to oversee an extensive renovation in 2015, which professional and amateur golfers alike agreed made a significant improvement to the already spectacular course.
There have been renovations over the winter. The course was due to reopen on May 1, but the date has been pushed back after vandals ripped up the greens and turf and daubed the words ‘Gaza is not for sale’ on the course.
Donald Trump during a visit to Turnberry back in 2015 following its refurbishment
The US President renamed the famous course after himself following his purchase
The Scottish course is quite stunning and is held in high esteem by the golf community
The costly improvements are all part of Trump’s plan to persuade the Royal & Ancient (R&A), which organises The Open, to let him host it at Turnberry.
However, his dream was dealt a blow this week when Mark Darbon, new chief executive of the R&A, said there are no plans to schedule a tournament there in the foreseeable future, despite rumours of diplomatic pressure from London and Washington.
The reason? The official one given by the R&A is there are too many logistical and commercial challenges involved.
By any golfer’s standards, it is a world-class course. For the uninitiated, its appeal lies in a heady combination of a uniquely challenging layout, firm turf, sandy dunes, a sea breeze blowing off the Firth of Clyde and stunning views out to the Isle of Arran and Ailsa Craig.
In reviews, players describe it as ‘golfing heaven’ and ‘a place truly made for golf’.
A spokesperson for the R&A said that increased demand for tickets to The Open means the event has got too big for Turnberry.
‘The last time we were there (in 2009) the crowd was just over 120,000. The Championship now regularly attracts significantly more than double that number and we need venues that have the necessary transport links, accommodation, and access for that number of fans to be able to attend.’
It was added that the R&A relies on The Open to generate the lion’s share of its annual income which is then reinvested in the sport.
Many in the industry believe that’s only half the story. For them, the biggest issue is Trump.
They point to the fact that Darbon’s predecessor at the R&A, Martin Slumbers, said late last year that Turnberry would not be considered as a venue for The Open ‘until we’re comfortable that the whole dialogue will be about golf’.
Players have shied away from criticising Trump. Of the dozen or so professionals asked to comment for this article, none were willing to go on the record.
In the words of one insider who asked not to be named: ‘Trump is just too controversial. The R&A know he would parachute into Turnberry and hog the limelight.’
Another golf insider who was at Turnberry when the Women’s Open was held there in 2015 recalled how Trump arrived ‘and turned it into a bit of a circus’. He added: ‘Trump held this press conference, and no one was paying any attention to the golf as long as he was there.’
Turnberry was the setting for the famous ‘Duel in the Sun’, with Tom Watson beating Jack Nicklaus back in 1977
Among those saddened by the news that The Open will not be returning to Turnberry any time soon is sports broadcaster Dougie Donnelly.
‘It breaks my heart because it’s just a magnificent golf course,’ he said. ‘It’s a wonderful setting. The staff are fantastic, they are wonderfully welcoming, and they are all local. They should be able to have an Open on their course.’
Donnelly added, however, that he understood the challenges facing the R&A.
Tom Hobbs, the commentator known for his Flushing It Golf podcast, believes that, regardless of who owns the course, The Open should return to Turnberry.
He said: ‘It’s such a shame not to hold The Open on this course. I don’t see why Trump being the owner is relevant. Golf has routinely been involved with venues and owners with questionable records. I don’t think it makes sense to single (Trump) out.
‘Turnberry is one of the best links courses in the world. Trump has improved the course, it’s 100 per cent better now than when The Open was last played there and it was a great course then.
‘I think The Open will return to Turnberry, but whether that will happen in the next few years while Trump is President, I don’t know.’
Within the sport, many argue that the R&A needs to find a way to stage The Open at the UK’s best courses — which, they stress, would have to include Turnberry.
If logistics and accessibility are the biggest challenge, Hobbs says he would like to see Turnberry (along with Carnoustie, which also struggles to accommodate today’s larger crowds), kept in The Open rota and used every decade or so to host a smaller- scale Open.
Though only 50 miles south of Glasgow, getting to Turnberry involves a mixture of planes, trains and automobiles for most visitors. The nearest train stations are at Girvan and Maybole.
Getting to either involves taking two trains and a bus or three buses with a journey time of around two-and-a-half hours. Most flights arrive at Glasgow International, a 90 minute-drive along the A77 which can be slow and congested at peak times.
Turnberry has hosted some memorable Opens over the years. The most recent, in 2009, ended in a play-off and one of the most unpopular victories in golfing history when Tom Watson — who, at 59, was battling to become the oldest major winner — missed an eight-foot putt on the final hole.
The Claret Jug went to fellow American Stewart Cink instead and the fairy tale was over.
In 1977 it was the scene of the legendary Duel in the Sun which saw Jack Nicklaus and ultimate victor Watson battle it out in a nail-biting, back-and-forth final round under clear, sunny skies.
Interest in golf has surged since the Covid lockdowns when the need for social distancing made it one of a handful of sports people could enjoy safely and legally.
Many of those who took it up have kept playing, on traditional courses, as well as on simulators and driving ranges.
A recent R&A survey found there has been a 44 per cent increase in ‘on course’ golfing since 2016. A lot of the new players don’t fit the mould of Pringle-wearing retirees.
Social media has also played a role in making golf, traditionally seen as an expensive and exclusive sport, more accessible, with professional golfers, influencers and celebrities sharing their love of the game with fans on Instagram, TikTok, and X.
Golf might be enjoying a surge in popularity but prices at Trump’s courses seem designed to keep ordinary players at bay. Turnberry’s Ailsa course is set to become the most expensive in the UK, with the introduction of a dynamic pricing system under which non-residents will pay up to £1,000 for a round at peak times.
In 2023, Turnberry made a profit for the second consecutive year since Trump bought it from Dubai-based company Leisurecorp for £40million in 2014. The Ayrshire resort, which employs 446 people, reportedly made £3.8m in 2023, compared with a loss of £3.7m in 2021.
Trump resigned as director from the business in 2017 after being elected US President and handed control of Turnberry over to a trust run by his family while retaining a financial interest.
Watson almost savoured another famous triumph at Turnberry in 2009 but lost in a play-off to Stewart Cink
Trump owns 18 courses around the world, including Doonbeg in Ireland and Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire which his son Eric described as ‘our Mona Lisa’ and where a second course is due to open this summer.
Getting The Open back to Turnberry is a long-term ambition for Trump, one on which he has expended significant energy and political capital and is unlikely to abandon.
When he met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Washington earlier this year, it was rumoured that he had brought up the issue of The Open returning to Turnberry.
During his first term, he asked the US ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, to lobby the British government to help him get The Open back to Turnberry.
The President’s triggering of a global trade war this week — with Britain among the countries hit by a blizzard of damaging new tariffs — has even sparked debate over whether the granting of The Open could persuade him to ease some of the pain likely to be felt by the UK.
Former Marks & Spencer chief Lord Rose told Times Radio: ‘It’s quite sad… we’re sitting here with our little begging bowl, hoping that Mr Trump, because he’s got a Scottish mother, and owns a golf club in Scotland, is going to be nice to us.’
In any case, the President’s people at Trump Turnberry are remaining optimistic that it will return to The Open roster one day.
General manager Nic Oldham said: ‘We will continue to invest in and develop the resort and will be happy to host events when the R&A feels it is appropriate. We will be ready and give the players the best golfing experience and the spectators the best viewing experience they can have in golf when the time is right.
‘There is no doubt the Ailsa remains one of the world’s most iconic layouts, and it remains a rite of passage for many golfers who want to tread in the footsteps of those who have graced our four Open Championships — which have been some of the most thrilling in the tournament’s history.’
