Scottish Golf Courses. Turnberry Ailsa. | |||
Ailsa Championship Course
Venue for the Open Championship 2009
Long regarded as one of the finest courses in the world, the Ailsa came to international prominence with the famous duel between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson over the four days of the 1977 Open. It was then, in brilliant sunny weather, that a capacity crowd was treated to an exhilarating display of golf from two of the best golfers the world has ever known.
Scene of some of the most memorable moments in Open history, the Ailsa Championship course is a legend in the world game. Watson, Norman, Price; they’ve all won The Claret Jug, golf’s most coveted trophy here on the Turnberry link. And another name will join them in the summer of 2009 when the Open Championship returns to the Ailsa.
The first three holes pose a fairly tough opening, particularly when the wind blows from the direction of Ailsa Craig, the dramatic rock 11 miles out to sea.
From the admirable short fourth to the short 11th the Ailsa Course follows the shoreline, the fifth to the eight framed by dunes and the ninth, tenth and eleventh flanked by craggy rocks. It is a thrilling passage full of stout hitting.
Perhaps the ninth is Turnberry's trademark, the remote tee set on a rocky promontory on the edge of the sea, the drive across the corner of the bay and a glimpse of the site of Bruce's Castle (Robert the Bruce, Scottish King, 1306-1329). The narrow path to the tee and the tee shot itself are not recommended to those of a nervous disposition.
The scenic glories of the Ailsa Course are to be savoured - the granite dome of Ailsa Craig, the low form of the tip of Argyll and the peaks of Arran highlighting the changing patterns of light and shade. Closer at hand, the lighthouse, and the ninth's lovely back tee are other symbols of Turnberry, the hole's title adding an historic echo. | |||
