XVI: Turnberry
Rare in golf is the combination of elite historical pedigree and a breathtaking setting to match, Turnberry is one of the few places where I have been simultaneously flooded with memories of Open Championships (namely the ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Nicklaus and Watson) and utterly lost for words at the majesty and raw beauty of its setting. Turnberry is special in more ways than one.
Turnberry's hotel could never be described as understated!
Arriving at Turnberry is an experience in itself, its 5-star service and world-class facilities at the forefront, it stands as something of the antithesis to the rustic, low key charm of a traditional Scottish golf club. The clubhouse is large, modern and overbearing, offering up incredible views across the property and a brilliant setting for a pre/post round tipple.
Rolling terrain and golf's most iconic lighthouse!
Turnberry is a layout grand in scale, its sprawling property seemingly stretching for miles, acres of space between holes and its palace of a hotel overlooking it all. There is nothing simple or minimalistic about the layout at Turnberry- each hole presents something of a visual feature and no two holes are remotely similar. Its land is loaded with variety, some flatter sections offer the gently tumbling terrain of a traditional Scottish links, and areas of larger dunes dotted throughout the property give rise to the dramatic changes in elevation more akin to an Irish links. It’s the variety of land and the consistency of its quality amongst an incredible setting at Turnberry which stamp it as one of the most brilliant golf courses on the planet.
Turnberry's bunkers headline its qualities away from the coast
X-factor is a trendy word in the world of golf at the moment, but it is rarely defined. To me, x-factor is distraction, it’s being captivated to the point of speechlessness by the scenes which encompass you- everything is elevated. The 9th tee at Turnberry satisfies every possible definition of x-factor- a long par three between two rocky outcrops hovering over crashing waves alongside Turnberry’s iconic lighthouse, akin only to the 16th tee at Cypress Point in my experience. A true do or die, make or break moment in the round which gets the heart rate pumping, palms sweaty and knees quivering – a perfect encapsulation of the previously discussed beautiful thrills.
The heart in your mouth 9th tee.....
Heart still racing as we exited the 9th green, perhaps golf’s most iconic halfway house lay in wait. An opportunity to put the feet up and have a couple of beers on the porch of Turnberry’s lighthouse was always going to be too good of an opportunity to pass up and will long remain one of my favourite moments of the trip – gorgeous sea views as far as the eye can see and a crisp Peroni in the June sunshine – life is good!
Turnberry's lighthouse is one of golf's finest halfway houses
There is no easing your way back onto the course from the halfway hut at Turnberry, straight off the bat we were smacked in the face by my favourite hole on the property and one of the most intimidating tee shots.
The tenth is a stunning par five doglegging left along the rocky coastline, its green perched atop the sandy beach, it’s a classic risk reward offering with no shortage of opportunities to pull one left into the ocean, but the heroism of an eagle putt is often too strong to lay-up!
The gorgeous par 5 10th winds beautifully along the coastline
Truth be told, I actually didn’t know what to expect as we rounded the headland from the 11th green and reaching the next tee to say I was lost for words would be a disservice. The short one-shotter at 12 possesses one of the games most unique green sites rising from a sea of rocky outcrops along the coast – a truly spellbinding conclusion to one of the most outrageous stretches of golf I have experienced.
Looking back, only the stretch of 15-17 at Cypress Point has matched the flat-out breathtaking drama of the hour gone by at Turnberry. Despite the undoubted brilliance of the holes either side of this stretch, it’s this hour which people from all over the planet will travel for and on a day like this, there was no question in my head that there was no place I would rather be.
The 11th greensite will take your breath away!
Turnberry may be defined and remembered for the hour of coastal thrills in the middle of its routing, and rightly so, however the consistency of the Layout which dips and dives with excellent variety across ideal grounds for golf cannot be understated, and are what make it one of the finest courses on the planet from start to end. It presents a variety of challenges, a range of green sites and hazards and an engaging balance of thought-provoking strategy and tests of execution. Doglegs swing both ways, fairways tilt and bound in different directions and its routing- despite being a traditional out and back, changes directions in subtle ways to keep you on your toes.
The sun sets over the 16th green- burn cutting across its front
Turnberry’s beautiful collision of rocky outcrops, flowing linksland and sea was honestly one of my favourite walks in golf, its layout- particularly the front nine interacts brilliantly with the coastline and took us on a magical journey across the property. There are few more interesting and spellbinding loops on the planet and an even shorter list of courses which reach the dizzying heights of Turnberry’s coastal stretch – a day of moments which will live long in the memory.