Turnberry turns it on

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There’s no doubt that Turnberry has always been regarded as one of the most beautiful venues in the world, but this year’s exceptional staging of The Open Championship has ensured that it won’t take another 15 years for the tournament’s return.

Despite the predictions from the doom and gloom merchants who questioned whether the course was too easy, access was too hard, and even whether the hotel would be ready, Turnberry has proved to be a spectacular success story.

Since the world’s oldest open championship was last staged at the Ayrshire venue in 1994, new owners Leisurecorp have made a substantial investment, completing a multi-million pound restoration of the historic white-washed hotel to a tight deadline and making several enhancements to the renowned Ailsa course.

Now both challenging and rewarding, these changes included the strategic placement of bunkers, increased length, new tees on the tenth and 17th, as well as the re-drafting of the 16th hole. There is no more stunning golf course in the world, but more importantly it was set-up perfectly to test the best.

“Turnberry is a shot-maker’s golf course. It’s tremendous. It’s got the most character of any links course in Britain, especially on The Open rota,” said current Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

“Just a fantastic place to be. When you stand on the eighth tee and look out to sea there, it’s breathtaking. The stretch of holes from the eighth to the 11th is incredible”

Any leaderboard which features a 59-year-old master of the links in Tom Watson; a 16-year-old amateur rookie, Matteo Manassero; and an American, Stewart Cink, claiming his first major championship win, must be doing something right. Just a handful of players were under par going into the final round of The Open Championship and Tiger Woods, the world number 1, missed the cut, which laid concerns about the severity of the renowned links to rest in emphatic style.

“At this golf course you really have to hit your ball well,” said Woods. “And you have to drive the ball well. You have to hit your irons well. The course is fantastic. It’s in great shape.

“All in all it’s just a fabulous golf course. You just can’t fake it around this golf course; you have to hit good golf shots.”

With attendances rising to 123,000 from 114,500 in 1994, despite the economic downturn and an unavoidable clash with the second Ashes test at Lords, Peter Dawson, The R&A chief executive, was delighted that expectations at the turnstiles has been surpassed: “To be ahead of where we were at Turnberry last time is pleasing in recessionary time,” he said.

Turnberry’s remote location and the insufficient road infrastructure of the surrounding area was the reason why The Open had stayed away for so long, but following significant investment by the local council in a new bypass, access in and out of this year’s tournament ran smoothly. Although traffic was heavy, a spokesperson for Strathclyde police said there were no lengthy delays.

Those who made the trip for the first time soon discovered that the Ailsa is one of the best viewing courses in the world, with sand-dunes turning many holes into amphitheatres and the narrow fairways allowing spectators to get much closer to the action.

It was The Open that had everything except the ending the world wanted. The admirable Stewart Cink may have spoilt one of the great sporting stories, but although Tom Watson didn’t win, Turnberry did, and in doing so laid its own claim to the Claret Jug.

“If you talked to the players and asked them to rate their favourite Open venues, I would suggest that most of them would probably put Turnberry right up there,” said The R&A’s director of championships David Hill.

“It’s a fantastic venue and any thoughts of Turnberry not being part of the future Open circuit are not in the minds of The R&A.”