It is hardly a surprise to learn the R & A has ‘blacklisted’ Trump Turnberry from hosting any further Open Championships while bearing the Trump name.
It’s 14-years ago Turnberry last hosted golf’s oldest major with the staging of the 2009 Open won by Stewart Cink when he defeated Tom Watson in a play-off.
Trump purchased the Turnberry complex five years later in 2014 and with strong suggestions then that while Turnberry was now under Trump ownership it was off the Open Championship rota.
Soon after purchase, Trump shut down the resort having arranged for Martin Elbert to redesign the famed Alisa Course ahead of a grand reopening in 2016 (attended by this writer), and with even Trump’s harshest critics singing the praise of Elbert’s work.
However, it meant nothing to those at the R and A and that very much remains the case, and now reinforced with major London newspapers citing an unnamed R and A source as saying: ‘We have no plans to stage any of our championships there in the foreseeable future and will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players, and the course itself’.
Another added: “The way it looks now, he would have to sell up before anything changes”.
However, close golf observers will recall it was former R and A CEO Peter Dawson who advised Trump who he should approach to redesign Trump Turnberry, and it was Dawson who advised Trump also who he should approach to design Trump Scotland just to the north of Aberdeen, and with Dawson recommending Martin Hawtree.
And in a recent interview with GB News, Trump shared news that he had recently invested heavily in redeveloping the Aberdeen course on the advice of Dawson.
‘It was done with a great architect,’ Trump said. ‘A great golf architect recommended by Peter Dawson. I said, give me the best one and (that’s) Martin Grant Hawtree. He’s a fabulous guy, a fabulous man. What he does is this type of course, he really did a great job.’
Of course, we’ve seen since the emergence of LIV Golf that Trump has managed to attract the new golf tour to many of his Trump brand courses.
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