Beautiful drama

As the action unfolded on the final day of the 2009 Open Championship, Thomas Clarke took some time out on the 8th hole with the Turnberry lighthouse overlooking him to watch the action unfold

Trump Turnberry Resort Ailsa Course Pictures
Turnberry Ailsa Course, 9th hole Bruce's Castle

Let me eulogise and wax lyrical for a moment about this incredible Open and this stunning Ailsa course at Turnberry.

Sat on a sand dune at the back of the 8th green with the sun beating down on me watching the last 10 or so pairs pass me by, I was about as content as a person could be.

In the distance in front of me set high above the course sat the impress Turnberry hotel, standing guard of all that lay out below it, seemingly watching the drama of this final day unfold.

 To my right Ailsa Craig, the huge rock seemingly standing in the sea like some mythical sea monster lurks some 12 miles off the coast, but no eyes looked at this landmark.

As Paul McGinley putted over the 8th green a Swallow swooped and dived over his par putt before disappearing over the brow of a dune.

With all this beauty that lay before me there was the constant soundtrack of waves lapping and occasionally crashing on the rocks that lay only 30 feet away. 

It is not often that you find such a sublime scene on a summer's day like this in the UK, but here today I found just that. Stunning.

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Thomas Patrick Clarke
Sports Digital Editor


Tom Clarke joined Golf Monthly as a sub editor in 2009 being promoted to content editor in 2012 and then senior content editor in 2014, before becoming Sports Digital Editor for the Sport Vertical within Future in 2022. Tom currently looks after all the digital products that Golf Monthly produce including Strategy and Content Planning for the website and social media - Tom also assists the Cycling, Football, Rugby and Marine titles at Future. Tom plays off 16 and lists Augusta National (name drop), Old Head and Le Touessrok as the favourite courses he has played. Tom is an avid viewer of all golf content with a particularly in depth knowledge of the pro tour.