Over 152 years, The Open Championship has been hosted by 14 venues. These days, however, only 10 form part of the Championship rota, writes BRENDAN BARRATT.
FORMER VENUES
Prestwick
The original venue for The Open and home to the first 12, Prestwick has hosted The Open Championship on 24 occasions.
Prince’s
The Open was held here just once, in 1932, where Gene Sarazen lapped the field to win by five.
Royal Cinque Ports
The course in south-east England hosted The Open on just two occasions, in 1909 and 1920.
Musselburgh
Hosted The Open six times, the last being in 1899.
CURRENT VENUES
Royal Troon
Host of this year’s Open, Scotland’s Royal Troon features a classic links layout of nine holes out and nine holes back in. The prevailing wind is at the backs of the players as they head out, meaning that they need to take advantage of the downwind holes before turning back into the teeth of the wind. Scene of the remarkable duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson in 2016, Troon is also home to one of the quirkiest holes on the rota – the 110m par-three 8th, named the Postage Stamp.
Royal Lytham & St Annes
A links course that is not quite on the coast, Royal Lytham & St Annes is famous for its wonderful design, which includes no fewer than 174 strategically placed pot bunkers. Bobby Locke and Ernie Els have both won The Open here, while Aldrich Potgieter claimed The Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes a few years ago.
Royal Liverpool
Home of last year’s championship, Royal Liverpool (also known as Hoylake) has hosted The Open no fewer than 13 times and The Amateur Championship on 18 occasions. No visit to Royal Liverpool would be complete without taking in some of the remarkable history on display in the clubhouse, including the Bobby Jones corner of the Inner Hall, where tribute is paid to the greatest amateur golfer of all time. Jones won the second leg of his 1930 Grand Slam here.
Turnberry
While technically still on the rota, the chances are slim of The Open returning to Turnberry soon – given that its owner is the controversial Donald Trump. It’s a great course, though, as Turnberry is one of the world’s great tracks and, by all accounts, the former US president’s changes have improved the layout further.
Muirfield
Many consider Muirfield to be the fairest test of golf among The Open courses, on account of both nines looping from the clubhouse, in opposite directions. As such, each hole seems to play in a different direction. South African winners here include Ernie Els and Gary Player, while Ashleigh Buhai claimed the 2022 Women’s Open at Muirfield, too.
The Old Course, St Andrews
The Home of Golf has hosted The Open a total of 30 times, and has the honour of hosting the event every five years. Outside of its legacy as the oldest course in the world, the massive shared greens are a significant feature, as are the nasty pot bunkers that can wreck any scorecard. Unfortunately, modern technology has removed some of the nuance of the course, but when the wind gets up, it is a true test of golf.
Royal Birkdale
Arguably the most picturesque of The Open venues, Royal Birkdale weaves its way through the dunes of Southport, just outside Liverpool. The list of champions here seems to underline just how good a layout it is, with Arnold Palmer, Peter Thomson, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson its first five winners. Jordan Spieth won the last time it was played at Royal Birkdale and players will get another crack at the course in 2026.
Royal Portrush
After hosting the 1951 Open Championship, won by Max Faulkner, the Northern Irish course had to wait another 68 years to host The Open again, in 2019. The Guinness taps ran dry when Irishman Shane Lowry lifted the Claret Jug and, thankfully, the course will soon be called upon to host The Open once more, as the event returns to Northern Ireland next year.
Royal St George’s
The only current Open course in the south of England, Royal St George’s has hosted The Open a total of 15 times, producing winners such as Harry Vardon, JH Taylor, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton, Bobby Locke, Sandy Lyle, Greg Norman and, most recently, Collin Morikawa.
Carnoustie
Considered to be the toughest of The Open courses, particularly in bad weather, Carnoustie is known for thick rough, deep pot bunkers and a treacherous closing stretch. It’s also where Ben Hogan won in his only appearance at The Open, and where Gary Player claimed his second Claret Jug. Infamously, it’s the scene of the most epic Open meltdown of all time – where Jean van de Velde took a seven on the par-four closing hole.
– This article first appeared in the July 2024 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
Photos: Warren Little/Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
