Ayrshire – Historic Golf and the New Course on the Scottish Block
Turnberry, Troon and Prestwick, three of golf’s legendary names on the rugged west coast, which has remarkably got even better thanks to the instant classic that is Dundonald: this is Scotland for the golfing purist.
It’s not a bad office, is it?” Ricky Hall looks out across Trump Turnberry, the resort where he’s Director of Golf. The coastline is ruggedly beautiful. In the distance lies the Isle of Arran.
To the right is a lighthouse – built by Thomas (father of Robert Louis) Stevenson – which now operates as a café for golfers seeking midround refreshment. Alongside that are the ruins of Robert The Bruce’s castle. Just up the coast is the birthplace of Robert Burns. Behind us is the striking, early 20th Century grandeur of the Trump Turnberry hotel. No, Ricky. It’s not a bad office at all.
“I don’t think anywhere has the appeal that Turnberry has,” Ricky laughs, acknowledging his bias, but making a convincing case. “The Ailsa. King Robert the Bruce. A great nine hole, the short game area, the Academy. Marry in the other courses in the area, the history, and this little south-west corner of Ayrshire is just fantastic.”
Identified as an ideal spot for a course in 1892, the Turnberry Golf Club opened in 1902, with the resort – ‘one of the world’s first golf resorts’ – opening four years later. Turnberry’s reputation was truly cemented though in 1977 when they hosted The Open, and the battle between Nicklaus and Watson made it what many regard as “The Greatest Major Ever Played”.
Known as The Duel In The Sun, that clash now lends its name to one of Turnberry’s many restaurants. It’s not the only bit of history marked in culinary fashion. “Our signature restaurant is called 1906,” explains Marketing Manager Natalaigh Taylor. “And it opens at 19:06 every evening.”
It’s a charming touch, one of many in this well-appointed resort that, as Natalaigh points out, extends way beyond its golfing origins.
“We have the riding stables. We’re developing the paddle-boarding programme. You can kite surf. We’re plotting yacht trips to Arran. There’s kayaking on the loch…” There are also afternoon teas, a fine whisky bar, a spa (and, for those looking for such details, a lot of chandeliers designed by Ivanka).
As Natalaigh and Ricky suggest, you don’t have to leave the resort to enjoy a varied stay – but you should. “Troon. Prestwick. These are great, great golf courses,” says Ricky of the close neighbours. “And they’ve done a great job at Dundonald.”
They certainly have. Dundonald is the area’s newcomer but they’re using that youth to their advantage. “The course has been here since 2003,” explains General Manager Ian Ferguson. “It’s young, but established, and gets better year after year. This only opened in 2021 but we needed this to compliment it all.”
The “this” in question is the new clubhouse, plus 22 hotel-style rooms and 18 luxury lodges aimed at the modern golf travel market.
While so many clubs have had to adapt old facilities for a modern audience, Dundonald have created everything with the 21st century golfer in mind. As you enter, the rooms have wet areas, washing machines, tumble dryers – “so you can leave your golf gear and not traipse mud inside” – while the tour of the clubhouse takes us past the sauna, the gym, the physiotherapist’s room…
Moving upstairs, through the Canny Crow restaurant, past the impressive bar, and around the corner into the more pub-like area, with a TV, a pool table, and beyond, where the walls are decorated with work by students from the Glasgow School of Art. “You won’t see that at another club,” Ian points out. “And then there’s the whisky room…”
Shelves of great whiskies line the walls of what also doubles as the private dining room. A cask – “Bunnahabhain Canasta, 36 years old” – forms the centre piece. “It’s £125 a nip. There’s a Macallan M, that’s £200 a nip. But you can do whisky tastings at all levels, we have many here under £10.”
We move back through the restaurant to the balcony and Ian points to the water. “We use all local, Scottish produce,” he says. “Fish comes from Troon harbour, literally a couple of miles away. Even the beetroot we use is from a one-man band, a small supplier just down the road. That’s the sort of thing that makes a difference, they’re nice stories to tell.”
Stepping outside, you’re overlooking the course, the practice grounds, the range – “that’s another important aspect of what we do, visitors and pros expect that level of facility” adds Ian – and to a few players compete with the elements. “Dundonald is a modern links course. We don’t have the quirks of the older courses, that raw, gnarly links experience, but you still have the conditions.”
Dundonald, a Kyle Phillips-designed par 72 remains a thorough challenge however, particularly, in Ian’s opinion, the 11th. “It’s a deceptively pretty par 3 where you have to be precise. You can’t be long, short, right or left.”
All told, Dundonald is a very impressive and different kind of golf resort – and a fine contrast to Turnberry’s long-established appeal. “We’re not a traditional golf club. We don’t have members, we’re public. We even removed the dress code and replaced it with ‘wear what makes you happy.’ I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?” Er… a mankini? Ian laughs. “That’s what we thought too, but if someone’s got the guts to do it…!”