Interviews

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Richard Humphreys
/ Categories: News

Turnberry targets Open with changes to Ailsa course

Trump Turnberry in Scotland will begin renovation work on its Ailsa course in October 2024, including a new seventh green on the coastal edge.

The project is expected to cost £1 million and take six months to complete, and is being overseen by Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert, who has completed a major renovation of the course in 2016 and several additional adjustments in 2019.

“On the new seventh hole, we wanted to move the green right on the coastal edge,” said Ebert. “There are not many links courses where you have greens right on the cliff edge, so that is very special in its own right.”

For the eighth, Ebert said: “It made a lot of sense to move the tees over to the right and produce a much better hole. The tee shot will be improved with the new alignment, making the hole visually stunning from your first shot to your last.”

The architect is also planning new banking behind the twelfth and fifteenth greens, tweaks to the thirteenth and tee updates on holes fourteen and seventeen. 

For the first four-and-a-half months of the project, Ailsa will play as a nine-hole loop comprising the opening six holes, a shortened par-three seventh and holes seventeen and eighteen.

Nic Oldham, general manager at Trump Turnberry, said: “The Ailsa is one of golf’s most iconic and acclaimed courses – but historically, Turnberry has never let that stop us from trying to upgrade and enhance where possible. 

“Today’s Ailsa is much changed from the one that first hosted the Open Championship in 1977, and the time felt right to take another leap forward in collaboration with Martin Ebert as we strive and hope to stage the Open once more. 

“We certainly encourage people to visit before October 21 and experience this incarnation of the Ailsa before we open a new and exciting chapter in one of golf’s great stories.”

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Slideshow HTML
  • Trump Turnberry Golf Renovation Ailsa
    Mackenzie & Ebert

    A visualisation of the new seventh green located near the coastal edge

  • Trump Turnberry Golf Renovation Ailsa
    Mackenzie & Ebert

    The previous location of the seventh green (left) and eighth tees…

  • Trump Turnberry Golf Renovation Ailsa
    Mackenzie & Ebert

    … and Ebert’s proposed changes, which see their positions switch around

  • Trump Turnberry Golf Renovation Ailsa
    Mackenzie & Ebert

    New tees for the eighth will change the alignment of the hole

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