🏌️♂️ What if one of golf’s most iconic venues made a stunning return to the sport’s most prestigious championship? In this video, we explore the behind-the-scenes conversations between the R&A and Eric Trump as they discuss the possibility of The Open Championship returning to Turnberry — a course with a legendary past and a very complicated present.
The Ailsa Course at Turnberry has given us unforgettable Open moments, like the emotional 2009 showdown between Stewart Cink and 59-year-old Tom Watson. But since Donald Trump’s acquisition of the resort in 2014, the course has quietly disappeared from the Open rota. Now, for the first time in years, the door may be opening just a crack.
👔 R&A chief executive Mark Darbon recently met with Eric Trump and Trump Golf executives to discuss the challenges and possibilities of bringing The Open back to the windswept Ayrshire coast. From transport and accommodation issues to the elephant in the room — politics and media noise — we unpack every angle of this complex situation.
🎯 Is Turnberry being judged on the quality of its course… or the controversy of its owner? And what did Darbon mean when he said the course isn’t out of the pool — but still faces major obstacles?
In this video, we also look beyond Turnberry:
📍 Royal Portrush is currently setting records with 280,000 attendees
📍 Royal Troon hosted a massive crowd in 2024
📍 And for the first time ever, the R&A is considering holding The Open outside the UK — with Portmarnock in the Republic of Ireland now a serious contender.
🏟️ We also touch on the scheduling chaos ahead of the 2028 championship, which may clash with the Los Angeles Olympics. As the R&A balances tradition with innovation, political sensitivity with sporting legacy, and local infrastructure with global ambition — where does Turnberry really stand?
💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments: Should The Open return to Turnberry? Or is it time to turn the page on a once-great venue?
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What if one of golf’s most iconic venues made a stunning return to the open roa? That’s the question hanging in the Scottish air as the RNA confirmed it recently met with Eric Trump, son of former US President Donald Trump to discuss bringing the Open Championship back to Turnberry. Yes, Turnberry, the legendary Elsa course that gave us one of the most emotional finishes in open history back in 2009 when Stuart Sink narrowly edged out a 59-year-old Tom Watson in a heartbreaker of a playoff. But a lot has changed since then. In 2014, the Trump Organization bought Turnberry and the course has been absent from the open roa ever since. Not banned, not forgotten, just sidelined. This week’s open at Royal Porch Rush has drawn a jaw-dropping 280,000 fans. That’s more than double the 120,000 who attended Turnberry’s last open. Royal Trune pulled in 250,000 last year. The RNA’s ambitions are clear. Bigger crowds, better experiences, global impact. That’s where Turnberry hits a snag. The infrastructure around it, roads, rail, hotels, just isn’t open ready. Mark Darbin, the RNA’s new CEO, is overseeing his first open championship and stepping right into this highstakes conversation. He’s met with Eric Trump, had what he calls a really good discussion, and laid out the challenges. But Darbin also made it clear this isn’t about politics or personalities. It’s about feasibility. though that’s only part of the story. His predecessor, Martin Slumbers, famously suggested that Turnberry wouldn’t be considered while Trump was still linked to it. He warned that the media spectacle could drown out the golf itself. Even after Trump’s second election victory, the concerns remained that the spotlight would shift away from the players and onto the headlines. Darbon isn’t diving into that political pool. He’s calling it a hypothetical. Still, his careful answers say a lot. The Trump name still cast a long shadow in the world of global sport, and the RNA knows it. And then there’s 2028. The Open might collide with the Los Angeles Olympics that year. Same month, same media cycle, a nightmare for scheduling, but the RNA says they’re close to a solution. If they get it right, 2028 could be a huge moment. Or maybe an even bigger surprise is coming. Port Maro in the Republic of Ireland is being seriously considered as a future host. If chosen, it would mark the first time the Open is held outside the UK. That’s more than a location shift that’s history in the making. The Irish government is already back in the idea. The RNA is kneedeep in feasibility work. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Turnberry, for all its grandeur, has a lot of ground to cover. Infrastructure upgrades, media pressure, and a name that still sparks debate in clubous and boardrooms alike. What if it comes back? What if the Elsa course gets its shot at glory again? For now, it’s all still uncertain. But in the world of golf, nostalgia and ambition have a strange way of shaping the future. Like golf itself, it all comes down to timing, precision, and a little imagination. Smash the bell like it owes you, birdies. Subscribe.
