Traditional Venues
For the first 10 years of its existence, the British Open was played at Prestwick Golf Club. Since 1872, however, there have been a number of British Open venues in a yearly rotation.
To start with, just three courses were included in the rotation: Prestwick, St Andrews and Musselburgh. In 1893, Royal St George’s and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, were also invited.
Since then, several clubs have been added and some dropped. The common factor in British Open venues is that they have always been links courses in Britain. The rotation is now generally played alternately in Scotland and England. An interruption to this pattern is the Old Course at St Andrews, which hosts the event every five years or so.
But there is no strict rule to the rotation of venues. The host is appointed by the R&A around five years in advance.
Click here to view a map showing the British Open venues (there are 13 markers for the fourteen courses, as two are in Sandwich). The British Open is usually played in Scotland or Northwest England. It has never been played in Wales, or in seven of England’s nine regions, and only once in Northern Ireland.
Rota
The current course rotation, for years ending in:
- (0,5) – Scotland (Old Course at St Andrews)
- (1,6) – England
- (2,7) – Scotland
- (3,8) – England
- (4,9) – Scotland
Current list of British Open venues
There are nine courses in the current rota:
- Old Course at St Andrews: In 1873 the “home of golf” became the second course to host the Open, and now does so more often than any other course. Since 1990 it has been scheduled every fifth year.
- Carnoustie Golf Links, Championship Course: Carnoustie rejoined the rotation to host the British Open in 1999 after an absence of 24 years.
- Muirfield: Muirfield first staged the British Open in 1892, just nine months after being built.
- The Westin Turnberry Resort, Ailsa Course: Turnberry will host the 2009 British Open after a 15-year absence.
- Royal Troon Golf Club, Old Course: This Scottish course has been in the rotation since 1923.
- Royal St George’s Golf Club: This course is in the town of Sandwich in Kent. In 1894 it became the first Open venue outside Scotland.
- Royal Birkdale Golf Club: This course has been in the rotation since 1954 and hosted the British Open in 2008.
- Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club: This course first hosted the Open in 1926 and entered the rotation in 1952.
- Royal Liverpool Golf Club: One of the older British Open venues, Royal Liverpool joined the rotation in 1897 and hosted ten Opens up to 1967. After a 39-year absence, it hosted the 2006 Open.
See also: List of the Open Championship venues