For years, golf traditionalists have championed Turnberry as one of the Open Championship’s most majestic venues. With its sweeping coastline views and iconic history, the Ayrshire course once stood firmly in the rotation of legendary links. But despite its reputation, Turnberry hasn’t hosted an Open since 2009, and it might be a long time before that changes, per ESPN.
According to new R&A chief executive Mark Darbon, Turnberry hasn’t been scrapped entirely, but the hurdles in its path are steep. Darbon cited significant transportation and infrastructure limitations, not political optics, as the main reasons the course remains on the outside looking in.
“We love the golf course,” Darbon said, “but we’ve got some big logistical challenges there.” In his view, the surrounding road, rail, and accommodation systems simply can’t meet the modern scale of an Open Championship.
That said, the politics of it all are hard to ignore. Turnberry was removed from consideration back in 2015, and former R&A head Martin Slumbers was direct in 2021, stating the Open would not return to Turnberry until the focus could remain solely on the championship and not on its ownership. That was shortly after the U.S. Capitol riots and during heightened global scrutiny of Donald Trump, who owns the course.
Infrastructure first, politics second
Despite past public statements, Darbon emphasized that the R&A continues to engage in constructive conversations with Trump’s team. He said they recently met with Eric Trump and other Trump Golf leaders to go over the ongoing challenges. While the dialogue was described as positive, Darbon made it clear that the R&A holds final say—regardless of any potential pressure from the British government or future political visits.
“We’ve spoken to [the government] specifically about Turnberry, and I think they’ve made it clear that the decision around where we take our championship rests with us,” Darbon said.
Trump, whose courses have yet to host a men’s major, reportedly maintains hope that his signature Scottish course could once again be in the spotlight. But the R&A appears focused on scale and logistics more than political appeasement. And Turnberry simply may not be able to keep up.
It’s not the only iconic venue under review. Muirfield, another historic Scottish course, faces its own issues. While beloved by purists, its outdated practice grounds and infrastructure also need modernization to meet the demands of a contemporary Open. Darbon confirmed talks with Muirfield are ongoing, with hopes of a return in the future.
As for Turnberry, until its access and infrastructure match the prestige of its past, it will likely remain a postcard-worthy outlier.
