An 18-hole green fee on Trump Turnberry’s Ailsa course is to be raised to £1,000 per person in peak periods next year.
The four-figure fee will only apply to those not staying at the resort and only for peak season rounds at peak times (before 1pm).
For visitor rounds played on the Ailsa after 1pm the green fee drops to £545, while for rounds played outside of peak season, the fee is £315. The peak period green fee for hotel guests is £425 per person.
Speaking to golf media brand bunkered.co.uk, Turnberry’s general manager Nic Oldham said that the £1,000 green fee is designed to protect tee times for hotel residents and Turnberry members.
“We were finding that a lot of people were booking up tee times during the peak times of the year, but only came to play golf and then left,” said Oldham. “In many instances, people were choosing to play the Ailsa but stay somewhere else nearby. That meant our hotel guests were able to stay in the hotel but couldn’t get access to the course. By blocking out these peak tee times, we are able to offer greater playing opportunities to our best customers.”
He added: “We are unique amongst venues that have hosted The Open in that we are a complete resort and, therefore, we need to make sure all parts of our business are viable. Simply selling rounds of golf isn’t a sustainable business model.”