Donald Trump to visit Turnberry as his campaign to host The Open gathers speed
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US President Donald Trump is set to return to Turnberry in July, fuelling speculation that his long-running bid to bring The Open Championship back to the Ayrshire links could be gaining momentum.
Donald Trump is expected to visit Turnberry in July. It will be his first visit since retaking his seat as President of the United States and will inevitably reignite speculation about whether the Ayrshire links could – or should – be brought back onto The Open rota.
Trump bought Turnberry in 2014 and called it “one of the great courses of the world,”.
He has spent around $200m on the layout since then, in no small part motivated by his desire to host The Open.
“The R&A would like to make certain changes to the course, so we’ll be doing that,” he said, shortly after completing the purchase. “We’re dealing with the R&A because for decades they wanted certain changes made, but there’s never been an owner of Turnberry who understood golf – until now.”
Trump is planning to spend time at the resort in the final two weeks of July – shortly after the 153rd Open Championship concludes at Royal Portrush. The timing of the trip will fuel suggestions that Trump remains determined to see The Open return to the famous Ailsa course, which last staged golf’s oldest major in 2009.
Why The R&A ditched Turnberry
Turnberry’s standing among players and fans is undisputed. It has hosted The Open four times – including the legendary 1977 ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus – and few would argue it’s not an Open-worthy venue if judged on the course alone.
Despite that, the R&A has frozen it out in recent years because of the political baggage that comes with Trump’s ownership.
In 2021, after the storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, then-R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers issued a blunt statement, saying:
“We have no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future.”
He later backed up that stance, saying:
“We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players, and the course itself. And we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”
In March, the course was vandalised by pro-Palestinian protesters, forcing staff to relay several fairways and greens. It has since fully reopened, but the fact remains: no matter how good the course is, Trump will always overshadow it.
Is the R&A taking a fresh approach to an Open at Turnberry?
The new R&A Chief Executive, Mark Darbon, appears to be more open to a Turnberry Open than his predecessor.
Speaking at a media day ahead of the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, Darbon said: “It’s a course that we’d love to return to at some point. Turnberry is a wonderful golf course and I think some of the recent improvements there have made it even better. We’d love to return at some stage.”
Darbon is still some way from giving Turnberry the green light, though.
“Where we have some challenges is around the logistical and commercial aspects,” he said. “I think the last time we were there in 2009, we had just over 120,000 people, and we’re going to have close to 280,000 here this summer.
Reading between the lines, it’s possible that Darbon feels a Trump-hosted Open would deliver less prestige and revenue than a tournament hosted somewhere with a less divisive owner.
“That’s really important for us because not only do we want to showcase this wonderful championship to as many people as possible, but it’s important for us in terms of our commercial model because everything that we generate from The Open, we then reinvest back into the game all around the world,” he said. “So we’ve got a few challenges at Turnberry.”
Will The Open return to Turnberry?
Trump has made no secret of his ambition to bring The Open back to Turnberry, repeatedly claiming the R&A privately supports the idea and praising the upgrades he funded to the course and its facilities. He has also insisted that the controversy around his ownership should not overshadow Turnberry’s pedigree as one of the finest Open venues.
There have even been suggestions that the UK Government is pressuring the R&A into taking The Open to Turnberry just to keep Trump happy.
His July visit will coincide with a period when the golf world is still digesting another Open, and some observers believe it’s no accident he’s appearing while attention is focused on the rota and future host venues.
Eric Trump, the president’s son, oversees the golf side of operations and promised the R&A recently that they would be “the best hosts The Open Championship has ever seen” if the tournament were to return.
One thing is certain: Trump is unlikely to abandon his campaign to bring The Open back to Turnberry any time soon. Whether the R&A eventually decides the “current circumstances” have changed enough to make that possible will continue to be one of golf’s more intriguing subplots.
Trump’s big trip
While in Scotland, Trump is also expected to visit his Trump International course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, which will host a new DP World Tour event later this summer.
The course, which opened in 2012, will stage the Scottish Championship in August, a $2.75m tournament set to star some of the best players on the Wentworth-based circuit.
Trump is also rumoured to be visiting – and possibly playing – the new MacLeod course on his property in Aberdeenshire.
The venue – named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod – is set to be open for play later this summer.
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Donald Trump will visit Turnberry in July, sparking fresh debate over The Open returning to his course.
