President Donald Trump plans to increase security measures at his Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, after vandals damaged greens and sprayed paint on buildings in March, according to documents filed with local authorities and statements from Turnberry managers.
Turnberry managers said they worked with Police Scotland and an architect to identify access points that made the course vulnerable and to draw up proposals to restrict vehicular and pedestrian entry. The plans submitted to South Ayrshire Council call for new gates at the hotel entrance, the clubhouse and the parking entrance to the resort’s lighthouse; some gates would remain open at all times but be locked if a security alert is received, while others would be secured overnight.
The security review followed an incident on March 8, 2025, in which a green was dug up, another had the words “Gaza is not for sale” painted on it, and red paint was daubed over buildings and walls at the resort. Turnberry said it held a joint review with Police Scotland “to identify areas that may have contributed to the ease of access to the property, mainly the golf course side of the business.” A document signed by Turnberry managers added: “From this we had engaged an architect to draw up plans for additional gates similar in design to that already approved by South Ayrshire Council, namely Gate 2, which will assist in restricting vehicular access.”
Turnberry said the upgrades are intended to reduce the risk of “malicious damage or vehicles being on the property overnight.” Several people have been arrested in connection with the March vandalism, police said. A decision on the new security plans is expected to be made by the council in due course.
Trump, 79, bought Turnberry in June 2014 for £39.5 million. He resigned as a director after his 2017 election and transferred control to a trust run by his family while retaining a financial interest. He has visited the resort several times as president; his most recent trip to Scotland in July drew an extensive security operation, including dozens of police officers, a convoy of staff and security in golf buggies, and temporary fencing erected to keep protesters away.
The heightened security proposals come as Trump prepares for a state visit to the U.K. next week. In Washington earlier this month he met Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Lord Mandelson in the Oval Office to discuss possible reductions in tariffs on whisky, part of wider discussions between the U.S. and U.K. governments.
Turnberry’s management and Police Scotland said the proposals were the product of the resort’s internal review and follow-up discussions with police. They said the measures are focused on preventing unauthorized overnight access to the golf course and on limiting vehicular approaches that could facilitate further damage.
Local planning records show some gates modeled on a previously approved design. Under the proposals, routine access would still be possible at certain points until a verified security alert triggers a lockdown, while other access points would be routinely secured overnight.
The resort has previously been the focus of protests and security incidents. During Trump’s 2018 visit, demonstrators gathered at the perimeter of the resort and booed the president as he played a round of golf; a paraglider carrying a banner critical of Trump flew over the hotel. In March’s incident, spray-painted slogans and physical damage prompted the review and the current set of proposed improvements.
South Ayrshire Council will consider the submitted plans as part of its planning process, and any final decision on the gates and related measures will be announced by the council. Turnberry, which markets itself as a world-famous course, said the proposed upgrades aim to protect guests, staff and property without permanently sealing off public access to parts of the facility.
Police Scotland has previously said it will continue to investigate the March vandalism and will work with the resort on any measures designed to prevent further criminal damage. Turnberry’s planned changes follow consultations intended to balance access, aesthetics and security at the historic coastal site.