British Open Golf Courses

Venues That Have Hosted the Open Championship

18th hole of The Course at St. Andrews, the golf course that has hosted the most Opens.
A rainbow soars over the 18th hole at St. Andrews, the most-common site of the British Open. Warren Little/Getty Images 
by Brent Kelley
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism.
Updated January 10, 2018

Below is the yearly list of golf courses that have been the site of the British Open golf tournament, dating back to that major's first playing in 1860. Announced future sites are listed first.

The courses in the Open rota are all links courses. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (the R&A) runs the Open Championship and is in charge of setting the rotation of golf courses. The championship typically alternates between links in England and Scotland, although that order can occasionally get thrown off (such as with a rare trip to Ireland in 2019).

Most Commonly Used Golf Courses for the Open

The Old Course at St. Andrews is the course that has been the site of the most Opens. With its most-recent use in 2015, The Old Course has been the British Open site 29 times. Here are the most-frequently used links:

  • The Old Course, 29 Opens
  • Prestwick, 24 Opens
  • Muirfield, 16 Opens
  • Royal St. George's, 14 Opens
  • Royal Liverpool, 12 Opens

Royal Lytham & St. Annes (11) and Royal Birkdale (10) also have hosted double-digit Opens. Prestwick, at No. 2 on the above list, was the original home of the Open Championship, but last was used as the Open venue in 1925.

British Open Sites

Here is the year-by-year list of golf courses where the Open Championship has been played (plus a handful of future sites listed first):

2020 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
2019 — Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
2018 — Carnoustie Golf Links, Carnoustie, Scotland
2017 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
2016 — Royal Troon, Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland
2015 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
2014 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
2013 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
2012 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
2011 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
2010 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
2009 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course), South Ayrshire, Scotland
2008 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
2007 — Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland
2006 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
2005 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
2004 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
2003 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
2002 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
2001 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
2000 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1999 — Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland
1998 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1997 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
1996 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1995 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1994 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course), South Ayrshire, Scotland
1993 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1992 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1991 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1990 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1989 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
1988 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1987 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1986 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course), South Ayrshire, Scotland
1985 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1984 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1983 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1982 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
1981 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1980 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1979 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1978 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1977 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course), South Ayrshire, Scotland
1976 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1975 — Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland
1974 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1973 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
1972 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1971 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1970 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1969 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1968 — Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland
1967 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1966 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1965 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1964 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1963 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1962 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
1961 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1960 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1959 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1958 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1957 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1956 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1955 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1954 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
1953 — Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland
1952 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1951 — Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce Links), Portrush, Northern Ireland
1950 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
1949 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1948 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1947 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1946 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland

British Open Sites Prior to World War II

In the years from 1940 through 1945, the Open Championship was not played due to World War II. Continuing with the list of sites, here are the pre-WWII golf courses of the Open:

1940-1945 — Not played
1939 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1938 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1937 — Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland
1936 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1935 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1934 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1933 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1932 — Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1931 — Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course), Carnoustie, Scotland
1930 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1929 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1928 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1927 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1926 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, England
1925 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1924 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1923 — Royal Troon Golf Club (Old Course), Troon, Scotland
1922 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1921 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1920 — Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Deal, England
1915-1919 — Not played due to World War I
1914 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1913 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1912 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1911 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1910 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1909 — Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Deal, England
1908 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1907 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1906 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1905 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1904 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1903 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1902 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1901 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1900 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland

19th Century British Open Courses

There was less moving around back in the 1800s, including a period during the first 13 years of the Open Championship when the tournament was played at the same site every year. These are the 19th century British Open sites:

1899 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1898 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1897 — Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
1896 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1895 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1894 — Royal St. George's Golf Club, Sandwich, England
1893 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1892 — Muirfield, Gullane, Scotland
1891 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1890 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1889 — Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, Scotland
1888 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1887 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1886 — Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, Scotland
1885 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1884 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1883 — Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, Scotland
1882 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1881 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1880 — Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, Scotland
1879 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1878 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1877 — Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, Scotland
1876 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1875 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1874 — Musselburgh Links, Musselburgh, Scotland
1873 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
1872 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1871 — Not played
1870 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1869 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1868 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1867 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1866 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1865 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1864 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1863 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1862 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1861 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland
1860 — Prestwick Golf Club, Prestwick, Scotland