Turnberry, Scotland · Links
4 major championships hosted since 1977
Established
1906
Designer
Willie Fernie; Mackenzie Ross (rebuild)
Par
70
Championship Yardage
7,489 yds
Turnberry's Ailsa Course on Scotland's Ayrshire coast, rebuilt by Mackenzie Ross after wartime use as an airfield, is one of the most scenic links in the world, with holes running along the shore beneath a famous lighthouse and views to the Ailsa Craig.
Turnberry has hosted four Opens, none more famous than the 1977 “Duel in the Sun” between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, when the two pulled far clear of the field over a thrilling weekend.
Lowest scoring marks recorded in major championship competition at Turnberry.
Course Record (round)
63
Open rounds
Lowest 72-Hole Total
268 (−12)
Tom Watson, 1977
First Major Hosted
1977
Total Majors Hosted
4
Every major championship staged at Turnberry, by championship and year.
| Championship | Times | Years |
|---|---|---|
| The Open | 4 | 1977, 1986, 1994, 2009 |
Defining rounds and championship moments in the history of Turnberry.
Tom Watson shot 65-65 on the weekend to edge Jack Nicklaus by one, both finishing 10 shots clear of third; Watson's 268 set an Open record.
Greg Norman won his first major in tough, windy conditions.
Nick Price holed a long eagle putt on the 71st hole to win the Open.
A 59-year-old Tom Watson came within a missed putt on the 72nd hole of winning, then lost a playoff to Stewart Cink.
The 1977 Open at Turnberry, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus traded brilliant rounds, Watson winning by one with a record 268 as the pair finished 10 shots ahead of everyone else.
Tom Watson, at 59, led on the 72nd tee and needed a par to win, but bogeyed and lost a playoff to Stewart Cink — nearly the oldest major champion ever.
The Turnberry lighthouse overlooks the Ailsa Course, with views across to the Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran.