The Ailsa, the Kintyre and the Arran.

Ailsa Championship Course

Venue for the Open Championship 2009
 
Long regarded as one of the finest courses in the world, the Ailsa came to international prominence with the famous duel between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson over the four days of the 1977 Open. It was then, in brilliant sunny weather, that a capacity crowd was treated to an exhilarating display of golf from two of the best golfers the world has ever known.
 
Scene of some of the most memorable moments in Open history, the Ailsa Championship course is a legend in the world game. Watson, Norman, Price; they've all won The Claret Jug, golf's most coveted trophy here on the Turnberry links.  And another name will join them in the summer of 2009 when the Open Championship returns to the Ailsa.
 
The first three holes pose a fairly tough opening, particularly when the wind blows from the direction of Ailsa Craig, the dramatic rock 11 miles out to sea.
 
From the admirable short fourth to the short 11th the Ailsa Course follows the shoreline, the fifth to the eighth framed by dunes and the ninth, tenth and eleventh flanked by craggy rocks. It is a thrilling passage full of stout hitting.
 
Perhaps the ninth is Turnberry's trademark, the remote tee set on a rocky promontory on the edge of the sea, the drive across the corner of the bay and a glimpse of the site of Bruce's Castle (Robert the Bruce, Scottish King, 1306-1329). The narrow path to the tee and the tee shot itself are not recommended to those of a nervous disposition.
 
The scenic glories of the Ailsa Course are to be savoured - the granite dome of Ailsa Craig, the low form of the tip of Argyll and the peaks of Arran highlighting the changing patterns of light and shade. Closer at hand, the lighthouse, and the ninth's lovely back tee are other symbols of Turnberry, the hole's title adding an historic echo.

Kintyre Championship Course

Building on the challenges laid down by the famous old Arran course, the Kintyre is links golf at its exhilarating best. Undulating greens, glorious fairways, magnificent ocean holes, and all with stunning views of Kintyre, Arran, and the famous Turnberry Lighthouse.
 
The view that greets you from the brow of Bain's Hill is just one moment among many you'll want to savour again and again. As the short ascent is made from the 7th green, it is as if a theatrical curtain is opened to reveal a stunning set. The extra elevation multiplies the panorama that stretches in every direction, but the shots, too, are breathtaking.
 
These range from a delicate pitch in a rocky dell on the 8th to a thrilling second along the shoreline on the 9th. Widely regarded as the Kintyre's signature hole, the 8th, involves a drive from an elevated tee towards the sea and an unforgettable blind second shot to the green set in a gully by the rocks. Unseen from the tee, hidden by a narrow ridge, the green is in a cove that seems to merge with the craggy beach beyond. As for the 9th, an invigorating drive offers the choice between adventure and caution, a par 5 set against the background of the renowned symbols of Turnberry, Ailsa Craig and the Lighthouse.

Arran Course

This challenging course has been specifically designed to allow Colin's team of Turnberry P.G.A. professionals the opportunity to pass on advice and tips about links golf, course management, and to give an insight into how Colin plays and thinks his way around a golf Course.
 
The Arran course has all the challenge's that the world famous Ailsa and new Kintyre course have to offer, such as undulating greens, tight tee shots, pot bunkers and thick, Scottish rough. The holes are an exciting mixture of par 3's and 4's, which are aimed at every standard of golfer, from the novice to the advanced player.
 
This excellent training ground allows the golfer to receive personalised tuition and to practice a full range of Links shots and techniques, in full view of the famous Turnberry lighthouse.
 
The Arran is the perfect introduction to Links golf and provides an ideal practice round prior to tackling a magnificent 36 hole complex that for beauty and challenge is unsurpassed.