Turnberry Ailsa Course, Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland

Many of golf’s most familiar sights are found at the famous Turnberry Hotel in Ayrshire, such as the famous lighthouse, Ailsa Craig (an island of granite in the Firth of Clyde), and the hotel up on the hill, glittering like a diamond in the evening sun. Golfers from around the world are drawn here to play Turnberry's famous Ailsa Course, site of the magnificent “Duel in the Sun” between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in the 1977 British Open, as well as popular victories by Greg Norman in 1986 and Nick Price in 1994. What they encounter are some of the most memorable holes and hazards in major championship lore, such as the thrilling tee shot on the 9th out on the rocks, one of golf’s most exciting, and the diabolical Wee (Wilson) Burn on the 16th, one of golf’s most beguiling! Today, Turnberry is also home to the Kintyre Course, the original Arran Course that has been remodeled by Donald Steel, with two dramatic new seaside holes, the 8th and the 9th. 8 is a blind par-4, only 280 yards, with the green hidden over a crest down by the crashing waves, while 9 is a reachable par-5 that heads straight at the lighthouse and Ailsa Craig, simply unforgettable. Our favorite activity though at the hotel may well be the pitch-and-putt course, 18 miniature holes at the bottom of the hill, complete with sod-faced bunkers, as much fun as you can possibly have practicing golf. Even if you are on your budget, stretch it as much as you can and treat yourself to a night at the indescribably superb Turnberry Hotel!