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Home | golf facility | Turnberry (golf course)
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The property was used as an airbase during World War I, and a landing strip built for this purpose still exists, now disused. During this period, the Royal Flying Corps trained pilots in the arts of aerial gunnery and combat, and the Turnberry Hotel was used as a hospital for the wounded. After the war, courses 1 and 2 were rebuilt and renamed "Ailsa" and "Arran". A memorial to honour lost airmen was erected on the hill overlooking the 12th green of Ailsa and still remains. The cycle was repeated for World War II. The hotel was commissioned as a hospital, and the golf courses were seconded for air training for the RAF; it is thought that as many as 200 died at the base. Designer Mackenzie Ross is credited with restoring the courses to their high quality, and the Ailsa course was re-opened in 1951, a seaside links with stunning views of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran. The hotel was bought by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in 1997, and until October 2008 was operated under the Westin brand. In October 2008, Leisurecorp, Dubai World's sport and leisure subsidiary, purchased the resort, with Starwood Hotels & Resorts continuing to manage operations under the The Luxury Collection brand. |
