By Stephen Emerson

Copyright scotsman

For the new general manager of Turnberry, the luxury Ayrshire resort has to be laser-focused on golf. “We’ve invested heavily in other facilities over the years, but the truth is they don’t drive bedrooms.,” Nic Oldham says. “Golf does. Ask anyone, from Americans to Glaswegians, and they’ll say Turnberry is about golf. “So rather than trying to be all things, we’re focusing on what we do best.” Nic returned to Turnberry after long-time hotel manager, Ralph Porciani, stepped down to take up a post with JA Resorts & Hotels in the UAE. Nic is a veteran of the Scottish hotel trade whose CV includes a litany of Scottish luxury resorts including Crieff Hydro and Macdonald Hotels. He has a deep personal connection to Turnberry having been first brought to the resort by his grandfather, a club member, in 1984, having his first date with his wife here at the 1994 Open and celebrating his mother’s 70th at the hotel. Turnberry also holds a special place in Scottish sporting culture with the first golf course opening in 1902 before the railway hotel was added in 1906. Nic said: “We’re here to preserve and enhance the history of the hotel, recognising that we are custodians of something much bigger than ourselves. “The responsibility is not just about today’s business but about maintaining a tradition that stretches back more than a century.” The opportunity to return to Turnberry, where he had previously held the post of Director of Sales and Marketing, came as a surprise. He said: “When Ralph resigned in April it was completely out of the blue. He suggested I should take the role. “Then Ralph sent my CV to the States. I was in Abu Dhabi when I got a call from the Trump Organisation. They flew me over to meet Eric and Mr Trump, and offered me the job.” Turnberry is trading strongly, with record revenues in early 2025 and peak summer months on track to deliver the best results in its history. Winter losses have narrowed, weddings provide steady supplementary income however golf remains the core driver of its business. So how does Turnberry intend to develop its golf offering? The nine-hole Arran course has been redeveloped into a 12-hole par-three course, renamed Trump’s Twelve, and will open in August 2026. Investment is also being poured into the resort’s golf academy with new simulators and a short-game area being created. Nic said: “For the first time we’re targeting UK and European pro groups, who can bring small squads to train, stay at the villas and enjoy world-class courses. “We’re broadening beyond the traditional American market to include domestic and European golfers, and we’ve seen a shift since Covid with more women, more couples and more mixed groups travelling.” The hotel has also made some changes internally to complement its golf offering including a new whisky tasting room, private games room plus a small cinema which can be booked by guests. Turnberry is owned by the Trump Organisation, which bought the resort in 2014 from Dubai-based Leisurecorp. The Trump family, led by Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump, oversees its operations and ongoing investment. How does the new Turnberry manager find working for the US President and his family? Nic said: “I’ve worked for some very good hoteliers over the years, strong characters like Donald Macdonald and Michael Purtill and Robin Sheppard , who taught me a great deal. “But working with Eric Trump is on another level. He has a very clear vision, one that aligns with my own instinct to always ask: what more can we do, how can we make it better? “When we had the vandalism issue earlier this year, he was straight on the phone from New York, not to talk about damage or money, but to check if I and the team were ok, if the buildings were safe.” The Open has not returned to Turnberry since 2009 with the R&A raising concerns over transport, accommodation and infrastructure. Political sensitivities around the Trump brand have also influenced decisions. Former chief executive Martin Slumbers said in 2021 that the championship would not return while politics risked overshadowing the golf. Nic, however, remains optimistic that The Open will return, adding that viewpoints within the game had changed. He said: “I think the story has changed. LIV has shifted attitudes, and people are more open-minded now than they were. “At first there was a closed view, but today the conversations feel more sensible. “Martin Slumbers was clear in closing the door at the time, and that was fair enough, but now there’s recognition that a feasibility study is needed. “That makes the prospect more open than it has ever been.” How can Turnberry overcome the objections raised around infrastructure. Nic says the success of recent Opens held in Troon shows that it can be done. He said: “We’re an hour from Glasgow on a trunk road that forms part of the UK’s core infrastructure. “Accommodation is no greater a challenge than at other venues: for Portrush, many visitors stayed in Belfast, yet that Open was a success. “Look at Troon. If it can be done there, it can be done here. Every golfer in the world wants to play Turnberry. “It’s considered the fairest of Open venues — from every tee you can see the bunkers, the approach to the green, and the sea on nearly every hole. “The product is ready, it’s just a matter of timing.”