Trump-owned Turnberry stands little chance of hosting Open

Donald Trump during his visit toTrump Turnberry during this year's Ricoh Women's British Open championsip  ( Getty Images )

FROM GOLFWEEK.COM

By Alistair Tait

Donald Trump’s chances of bringing the Open to Trump Turnberry were pretty slim long before he made his comment about banning Muslims from entering the United States.
They’ve simply become non-existent now.
The R and A’s official line is that it has chosen its venues through the 2019 championship and won’t comment on future venues until the Championship Committee is ready to do so.
However, take it from me: Turnberry probably won’t be considered as long as Trump owns it. The Donald has a better chance of becoming U.S. president than he has of landing the game’s oldest major for the Ailsa Course .
Trump, who acquired Turnberry Hotel and the two links courses in 2014, seriously hampered Turnberry’s chances of hosting the game’s original tournament when he helicoptered into this year’s Ricoh Women’s British Open. R and A officials and committee members viewed the ensuing media circus with horror.
The last thing the R and A wants is for Trump, who is leading major polls in a bid to become the Republican nominee for president in the 2016 election, using the Open as a platform to do what he seems to do best: showcase himself.
Trump’s style clashes hard with the R and A’s exceedingly measured approach. 
Once asked what stood out among his achievements as R and A chief executive, former boss Peter Dawson said: “We don’t do personal here at the R and A.”
By contrast, Trump does ONLY personal.
Dawson and the R and A took a hammering two years ago for hosting the Open at Muirfield. It resulted in its affiliate Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews admitting female members for the first time in its history.
 The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns Muirfield, since has put its all-male membership under review. Royal St. George’s is going through a similar process. Expect both clubs to follow the Royal and Ancient’s lead and welcome female members before the Open returns.
Imagine the media storm that would ensue if the R and A decided to take the Open to a venue, Turnberry, owned by someone with what many believe are anti-Muslim views?
To paraphrase Mr Trump: It. Just. Won’t. Happen.
The R and A doesn’t even have to cite Trump’s controversial views as the reason for not returning to Turnberry any time soon. The Ayrshire venue is probably the R and A’s biggest challenge on the current Open rota.
Crowds generally are smaller at Turnberry than any other venue because of its remote location in southern Ayrshire. Transport links are difficult, and hotel accommodation is poor.
Golf is the biggest loser here. Turnberry’s Ailsa Course is a great lay-out in a fantastic location. The changes that architect Martin Ebert is making will make the course even better.
The southwest area of Scotland needs major-championship golf, too. The nearby seaside town of Girvan once bustled with energy. The advent of cheap air travel to Spain and other European destinations in the 1980s killed Girvan as a holiday destination. 
It’s  now just another tired, rundown Scottish coastal town.
The 2009  Open, in which Stewart Cink edged a resurgent Tom Watson, gave the area a much-needed injection of cash. The Open can inject as much as $115 million into a community. Girvan and its environs could do with that sort of cash on a regular basis.
Sadly, it’s now likely to be a long time before the world’s elite grace Turnberry’s Ailsa links to fight it out for the Old Claret Jug.