The four major championships in golf all have their quirks and things that make them stand out from other tournaments. The Masters is unique in that it is played at the same venue every year, the iconic Augusta National in Georgia. The Open Championship, the only one of the quartet played outside the USA, has much that makes it special.
It is the oldest of the four tournaments, dating back to 1860, and it is also the only one that is always played at a links golf course. One other interesting quirk of the Open, sometimes referred to as the British Open, is that it uses a fixed and limited number of courses as the host venue. The Masters, of course, has been played at just one golf club, but the US Open has been hosted by 52 different courses, whilst the USPGA, the only major not open to amateur players, has visited well over 70 different venues.
In this article, we take a look at which courses are currently on the Open rotation, as it is know. We will also look at where the next few championships are scheduled to be held and also look back at courses that have done the honours in the past but which no longer feature.
Courses That Can Host the Open Championship
At present, there are 10 courses around the UK that can host the British Open. In some ways, that title is a misnomer, given that one of the 10 is Royal Portrush, in Northern Ireland, which is in the UK but not Britain. Anyway, the 10 courses currently being used are:
| Course | Nation | How Many Times Hosted? | Last Hosted? |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Andrews | Scotland | 30 | 2022 |
| Muirfield | Scotland | 16 | 2013 |
| Royal St George’s | England | 15 | 2021 |
| Royal Liverpool | England | 13 | 2023 |
| Royal Lytham & St Anne’s | England | 11 | 2012 |
| Royal Birkdale | England | 10 | 2017 |
| Royal Troon | Scotland | 9 | 2016 |
| Carnoustie | Scotland | 8 | 2018 |
| Turnberry | Scotland | 4 | 2009 |
| Royal Portrush | Northern Ireland | 2 | 2019 |
Four Courses Have Hosted the Open But Don’t Anymore
There are four venues that have been removed from the rotation over the years. Prestwick was home to the tournament for many years in the 19th century and held the first 12 editions of the Open. In all it has been used 24 times but fell out of favour in the 20th century. It last played host back in 1925 but it became apparent that it was too small and overcrowding issues meant it has never been used since.
Another Scottish course has dropped from the list of those used, with Musselburgh Links last used in 1889. That was the sixth Open Championship it hosted but when Muirfield was built, that finer course took over. Royal Cinque Ports in Deal is still used for Open qualifying but last held the tournament proper way back in 1920, having also done the honours in 1909. It was due to be used in both 1938 and 1949 but flooding caused by high tides meant it could not be played and it was subsequently removed from the rotation.
The last course to have welcomed golf’s finest to its only UK major is Prince’s Golf Club. This course was built in 1906, in Sandwich, Kent, so is very close to the more illustrious Royal St George’s. Its one and only Open was the 1932 event, won by Gene Sarazen, who pocketed £100 for his efforts.
St Andrews Has Held the Open Championship the Most Often
As the table above shows, St Andrews is well out in front in terms of hosting the Open the most times. With 30 tournaments, it is six ahead of Prestwick but in terms of venues still in use, Muirfield is second on 16, well back. St Andrews, and in particular the world-famous Old Course, is considered to be the home of golf and is almost 500 years old, having been founded in 1552.
Winning at St Andrews is a particularly special achievement and players such as Sam Snead, Peter Thomson, Bobby Locke, Jack Nicklaus, Seve, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods have all triumphed here. In fact, Woods and Nicklaus both won twice at St Andrews, befitting their status as the game’s GOATs.
Course by Nation
Ahead of the 2024 Open Championship, Scottish courses have held the Open 97 times, with English venues doing the honours 52 times and Royal Portrush representing Northern Ireland twice. Indeed, the tournament was an almost exclusively Scottish affair for many years, with the 1894 Open, the 34th edition of the tournament, the first to be held outside the country.
Moreover, for most of the early years, the field was majority Scottish and the first non-Scottish winner did not come until 1890. Since the tournament moved south of the border, different systems of rotation have been used. For many years it alternated between an English and Scottish course. However, since 1973 it has been common for three Scottish courses and two English ones to be used in a five-year period. That said, with relative peace in Northern Ireland, it is believed that Portrush will be used more often in the years ahead, changing that system once again.
Which Course Will Host the 2024 Open?
The 152nd edition of this brilliant tournament will be held at Royal Troon. This will be the 10th time the South Ayrshire venue has had the honour. The event will take place from the 18th to the 21st of July.
2025 and 2026 Open Championship Venues
The organising body announces future hosts periodically, usually around three to four years in advance. The 2025 tournament will take place at Royal Portrush in Antrim once again and is scheduled to get underway on the 17th of July, coming to a head on Sunday the 20th.
12 months after that it will return to England and the Southport course of Royal Birkdale. Southport local Tommy Fleetwood will no doubt be dreaming of glory there already, with the Merseyside venue set to host the tournament from the 16th to the 19th of July 2026.