Sport and politics rarely go well together.
They are awkward bedfellows.
All the more so when one of the protagonists involved happens to be one of the most controversial politicians in history.
Recent events have proven this beyond all doubt. Back in December, Donald Trump collected a peace prize from FIFA as the draw was made for this summer’s World Cup Finals.
Only a few months down the line, the US president then warned that ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’ as the war with Iran escalated to new heights.
With the leader of the free world threatening to bomb an entire country indiscriminately, that peace prize presented to him by his FIFA lapdog Gianni Infantino looked even more ridiculous than it already did.
President Trump is all smiles in Washington on Tuesday despite the news about The Open
Trump tees off last summer in one of his other golf courses at Balmedie
The US President with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino before he collects the FIFA Peace Prize
Yet, here’s the thing. When it comes to the Open Championship being held at Turnberry, Trump’s politics are only a very small part of a much bigger equation.
Whilst they would never actively endorse his ownership of the Ayrshire resort, the R&A’s overall stance on Trump is understood to have softened.
To understand the change in this relationship, we only need to look at the comments and tone from the governing body. In particular, the two most recent chief executives.
Speaking in 2024, Martin Slumbers said: ‘The position at the moment, in respect of Turnberry, is that we will not be taking events there until we’re comfortable that the whole dialogue will be about golf.’
Although it was never officially taken off the rota, it had been widely accepted that The Open would never return to Turnberry whilst it was under Trump’s ownership.
The R&A viewed Trump as politically toxic when he was elected as president first time around. That feeling would persist into the start of his second presidency.
Beyond the logistical challenges of going back to Turnberry, it was that toxicity which had become the main issue.
In 2015, when Turnberry hosted the Women’s Open during his election campaign, Trump arrived in a helicopter and duly parked his chopper on the front lawn outside the hotel.
Immediately holding a press conference in which he declared: ‘The world has asked me to be here’, the golf tournament was relegated to a footnote.
This was precisely the sort of thing that the R&A were desperate to avoid. For years, they wouldn’t touch Trump with a ten-foot barge pole.
But that was the old regime. Under new chief executive Mark Darbon, there is greater dialogue between both camps.
Activists put windmills on Trump Turnberry just over a week ago
Speaking earlier this week, Darbon said: ‘The challenge at Turnberry is logistical, with the road, rail and accommodation network around it.
‘We love the golf course at Turnberry. We would love to go back there. But unless we address the logistical challenges, it’s difficult for us to go back.
‘I met a couple of months ago with Eric Trump and some of the leadership from the Trump golf organisation from Turnberry.
‘We had a really good discussion. I think they understand clearly where we are coming from. We talked through some of the challenges that we have, so we have a good dialogue with them.’
It was confirmed earlier this week that Royal Lytham and St Annes will host the Open Championship in 2028. Turnberry and Muirfield, the two best golf courses in Scotland if not all of Britain, continue to be exiled.
A return to Turnberry was never on the table. Muirfield was a more likely contender to be reinstated, but the situation is complicated by the Scottish Open being held nearby at The Renaissance the week prior.
With the next three venues now being finalised – Royal Birkdale this year, St Andrews in 2027, and Royal Lytham in 2028 – it means 2029 will now be the earliest possible return for either Turnberry or Muirfield.
Golfers enjoy a sunny day at Turnberry and the famous lighthouse in the background
The hotel at Turnberry but access to the town is a problem for its Open future
It is Turnberry who ultimately have the most work to do. I live only 30 minutes further up the road in Ayrshire and I can vouch first-hand for how limited the transport links and infrastructure happen to be.
For anyone travelling south from Ayr or Glasgow, there are only really two roads. There is the A77 which is essentially the main road and would be the most popular route for anyone travelling by car.
There is now a new bypass which means you no longer have to drive through the tight and twisty streets of Maybole. That is a big improvement but, in and of itself, it’s still not enough.
The other road, known as the coastal route, takes you past Maidens and Culzean Caste. That would likely be closed a few miles out from Turnberry, given that it winds up in the heart of the resort.
The closest train stations to Turnberry are Girvan and Maybole, both of which are just over five miles away and would thus require a shuttle bus to reach the golf course.
So, essentially with one road in and one road out, as well as the nearest train stations being several miles away, it is a nonsense to believe a venue like this could stage a modern Open Championship.
The event has grown exponentially since it was last staged at Turnberry in 2009. Back then, the total crowds through the gate for the week sat at just over 120,000.
That figure is expected to set a new record and surpass 300,000 at Birkdale this summer. Other venues regularly sit between 200,000-250,000 spectators for the week.
Turnberry simply cannot cope with that. Perhaps even more so than the likes of St Andrews and Royal St George’s, two other venues with poor transport links, the roads would grind to a halt.
There is also a glaring lack of infrastructure in terms of hotels and accommodation in the surrounding area.
The R&A are in the process of conducting a feasibility study to establish how much money it would cost to make Turnberry viable again.
Until that study is published, any numbers would be purely speculative. When The Open returned to Royal Portrush in 2019, the surrounding area was given a £17million makeover.
There’s only one road in and out of Turnberry which makes it a problematic venue
Given the scale of the work and investment required at Turnberry, you could easily triple or quadruple that number to even get close.
It is not beyond the realms that the total figure could be in excess of £100m in order to make Turnberry a viable option.
Trump has already pumped in around £200million since buying the resort in 2014. The hotel and lodges have been upgraded. The course has been redeveloped and improved.
If there was an agreement for The Open to return, his organisation would have no issue in investing more money into expanding the property and the creation of more accommodation.
But the necessary improvements to the transport infrastructure – specifically the roads and rail links – do not fall at their door.
That would require a level of public investment from the government and, ultimately, the tax-payer. And that’s the crux of the matter.
The Government, be it Holyrood or Westminster, will not pour public money into an event that ultimately would be fronted by Donald Trump. That would be political suicide.
On and off the course, Turnberry is total luxury. The hotel sells bottles of whisky for £60,000 a pop. It is also a popular wedding venue.
Packages range from anything between £20,000 all the way up to 50 grand. But it’s difficult to see how the marriage with The Open can be reconciled.
The R&A can’t change the owner’s name at the front gates. A venue once famed for a duel in the sun in 1977, Turnberry in the modern day is little more than a jewel in the desert.
