THE first stage of the multi-million pound renovation of the hotel at Turnberry will be completed on time to host the return of the oldest major in July, according to both the Royal and Ancient, the organisers of the Open, and Leisurecorp, the Dubai-based owners of the resort.
Speculation building work might not be finished on schedule and the event would have to be switched to nearby Royal Troon was dismissed as fanciful. Asked if discussions had ever taken place about putting Troon on standby, R&A chief executive Peter
Dawson replied: "Absolutely never. Media hype."
However, it was confirmed Leisurecorp parted company with the firm originally enlisted to re-fit the hotel and new tradesmen were brought on board. Leisurecorp golf chief executive David Spencer explained: "Our programme to close the hotel was always ambitious and aggressive.
"We'll be working right through to our projected finish date. This is the first time since the hotel was built that it's had a renovation of this magnitude. This is not just slapping on a few coats of paint. It's a massive renovation.
"But having a guillotine date for the Open was good for us. People speculated that Athens wouldn't be ready for the Olympics and that's typical of most major sporting events.
"We knew we had to get the hotel ready for the Open and it will be ready. The contractors were changed four to five weeks ago.
"There was a mutual parting of the ways with the first contractors. We didn't sign a contract with them. We didn't fire them and they didn't fire us. The second contractor was appointed and we have absolute confidence in them.
"In the first phase (of renovation] that will be completed for the Open, there will be 181 rooms ready out of a total of 209. All the public places will be also ready.
"The second phase of refurbishing the balance of the rooms and public places will take place next winter.
"This has always been a two-stage process. So the key for us at the 2009 Open was to have the public places ready and a minimum of 181 rooms ready so it can be the host facility for the R&A.
"Any loss of time in the changeover has already been made up. The other side to look at is the golf course, which has been closed since last year and won't re-open until the Open. It's in spectacular condition and will set a fantastic standard."
R&A director of championships David Hill added: "Basically we're quite satisfied that the preparations for the hotel for the Open are on schedule and the hotel will be ready to serve as headquarters accommodation for all competitors. It will be primarily competitors staying there.
"A major priority of the refurbishment has been replacing the existing windows on the sea facing elevation to make the building weather-tight. The removal of scaffolding has already begun, and we anticipate that by late May these works will be completed.
"Works over the past few months have seen the hotel stripped back to basics, literally, and the focus over the coming months will be on the reinstatement of the infrastructure, the partitioning and the reconfiguration of public areas. It really will be quite a grand place. We are in constant touch with Leisurecorp, and our staff at the site have assured us the hotel will be ready on time."
