President Donald Trump has proposed strengthened perimeter security at his Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire after vandals damaged greens and sprayed red paint on buildings in March, according to documents submitted to local authorities.
Turnberry managers, working with Police Scotland and an architect, drew up plans to install additional gates at several access points including the hotel entrance, the clubhouse and the parking approach to the resort’s lighthouse. Some gates would remain open around the clock but be locked if a security alert is received, while others would be locked overnight, the documents state. A decision on the proposals, submitted to South Ayrshire Council, is expected in due course.
The security review followed an incident on March 8, when a green was dug up and graffiti reading phrases such as "Gaza is not for sale" and "free gaza" was painted on walls at the resort. Red paint was daubed on buildings and walls, and police later arrested several people in connection with the alleged vandalism. Turnberry’s written summary of the review said the changes aim to reduce the ease of access that may have contributed to the incident and to lower the risk of "malicious damage or vehicles being on the property overnight."
Trump bought Turnberry in 2014 for £39.5 million but resigned as a director after his 2017 election and placed the business in a family-run trust while retaining a financial interest. The resort has been the subject of heightened security at times of presidential visits. During a private trip in July, which included a round of golf at Turnberry and meetings with international and UK officials, temporary fencing and a large security presence were used to limit protesters' access. Security details that day reportedly included a 28-golf-buggy cavalcade of staff, advisers and security personnel, along with dozens of police officers and miles of temporary 10-foot fencing.
Turnberry managers said they had worked jointly with Police Scotland to identify areas that may have contributed to the ease of access to the property, particularly around the golf course side of the business, and engaged an architect to design gates similar to an already approved gate identified in council records as "Gate 2." The proposed measures are intended chiefly to restrict vehicular access.
The vandalism drew local and wider attention because of the high profile of the owner and because the resort has been used by Trump on multiple occasions, including a 2018 visit that drew protests and a parachuted banner criticising the then-president. Mr. Trump is due to arrive in the United Kingdom for a state visit next week, and the security plans for Turnberry have been advanced in the context of that heightened scrutiny.
South Ayrshire Council will consider the planning proposals as submitted. Police Scotland has worked with Turnberry on the review and subsequent security recommendations, and several arrests connected to the March incident have been reported by police. The resort said the new gates and related measures would assist in reducing the risk of future damage or unauthorised overnight vehicle access.