The 10 Best Golf Courses That Have Hosted The Open Championship
The 10 Best Golf Courses That Have Hosted The Open Championship
Direct Answer
The Open Championship — golf's oldest major, first played in 1860 — rotates among a select group of British and Irish links, and these are the finest on its current and historic rota. Our Best Overall pick is the Old Course at St Andrews, which has staged a record 30 Opens and where a 2027 visitor round runs about £320.
The Best Value play is Carnoustie, where a U.S./global golfer can play a brutal Open course for roughly £280 via public links management. This list is for golfers who want to walk the same fairways as Open champions, with fees spanning roughly £280 to £400. Every course below is a real, currently-operating Open venue ranked on championship history, design, and visitor access.
1. Old Course at St Andrews 🏆 BEST OVERALL
The Old Course has hosted The Open 30 times, more than any venue in history, most recently the 150th Open in 2022. Owned by the public and managed by the St Andrews Links Trust, it offers genuine public access — a peak 2027 green fee of about £320, with most rounds won through the daily ballot.
Landmarks like the Swilcan Bridge, the Road Hole 17th, and the giant double greens are recognized worldwide. The Road Hole, a par-4 of about 495 yards, asks players to drive blind over the reconstructed railway sheds of the Old Course Hotel and then thread an approach between the deep Road Hole bunker and the paved road behind the green — routinely cited as the hardest par-4 in championship golf.
As the birthplace of the 18-hole round and the template for golf everywhere, it ranks #1 not just for its record Open tally but for its irreplaceable place at the center of the game. Securing a round means entering the daily ballot, booking an advance slot the prior September, or buying a guaranteed tee time through an approved tour operator, since walk-on play is essentially impossible in peak season.
2. Royal Portrush (Dunluce Links)
Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush returned to the Open rota in 2019 after a 68-year gap, with Shane Lowry winning before a roaring home crowd; The Open returns here in 2025. Visitor green fees run about £325 (≈€380) for 2027.
The Harry Colt design on the Antrim coast features "Calamity Corner," a fearsome par-3 over a ravine, and dunes near the Giant's Causeway. Its recent Open success cemented its status as one of the great championship links. Portrush ranks for its modern Open pedigree and dramatic seaside drama in a single spectacular package.
The 2019 Championship — the first Open held in Northern Ireland since 1951 — was a roaring success that cemented the venue's return to the rota, and the surrounding Causeway Coast, with Dunluce Castle and the Bushmills distillery nearby, makes it one of the most atmospheric Open destinations a visiting golfer can experience.
3. Royal Birkdale
On England's Lancashire coast in Southport, Royal Birkdale has hosted The Open 10 times, including 2017 (Jordan Spieth's win), and is widely regarded as the fairest of the English Open courses. Visitor green fees run about £300 for 2027.
Fairways run through flat-bottomed valleys between towering dunes, so wayward shots are punished but good ones get a fair bounce. The par-4 18th is a classic finishing hole. Birkdale ranks for its consistent Open rota presence and a design that championship players consistently praise for its honesty and shot-making demands.
4. Carnoustie (Championship) 💎 BEST VALUE
The longest and arguably hardest course on the Open rota, Carnoustie in Scotland has hosted eight Opens, including the 1999 Van de Velde meltdown and 2018 (Francesco Molinari). Crucially for visitors, it's publicly accessible via a links-management company at about £280 for 2027 — strong value for an Open venue.
The Barry Burn snaking across the closing holes and the brutal finishing stretch earned it the nickname "Carnasty." No Open course offers championship pedigree this stern at a comparatively attainable fee. Carnoustie is the Best Value pick — a true major venue without the marquee price.
5. Royal Troon (Old Course)
Royal Troon in Ayrshire hosted its 10th Open in 2024 and is home to two iconic holes: the par-3 8th "Postage Stamp," the shortest hole on the rota at about 123 yards, and the long 6th. Visitor green fees run about £330 for 2027.
The classic out-and-back routing means a benign front nine and a wind-lashed return. The Postage Stamp's tiny green, ringed by deep bunkers, has wrecked many championship hopes. Troon ranks for its active Open status and its mix of one of golf's shortest and most feared par-3s with a stern overall examination.
6. Royal Liverpool (Hoylake)
Known as Hoylake, Royal Liverpool on England's Wirral Peninsula has hosted 13 Opens, including 2006 (Tiger Woods) and 2023 (Brian Harman). Visitor green fees run about £295 for 2027.
One of England's oldest links (founded 1869), it's flatter and more exposed than the dune courses, with internal out-of-bounds and fierce wind defining its challenge. A new short par-3 17th was added for the 2023 Open. Hoylake ranks for its deep Open history and its place as one of the cradles of English championship golf.
7. Muirfield
Home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, Muirfield in East Lothian has hosted 16 Opens and is celebrated as the fairest test in championship golf thanks to its two-loop routing that exposes players to every wind direction. Visitor green fees run about £365 for 2027, with play limited to Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Jack Nicklaus admired it so much he named his Ohio course after it. The impeccable conditioning and strategic bunkering reward precise, thoughtful golf. Muirfield ranks for its storied Open tally and its reputation as the most honest and balanced of all the rota courses.
8. Royal St George's (Sandwich)
The only Open venue in southeast England, Royal St George's in Sandwich, Kent, has hosted 15 Opens, including 2021 (Collin Morikawa). Visitor green fees run about £295 for 2027.
Famous for its huge, rumpled dunes, blind shots, and the deepest bunker in championship golf on the par-4 4th, it's a quirky, old-school links that divides opinion but never bores. Ian Fleming, a member, set a *Goldfinger* golf scene here. Royal St George's ranks for its long Open history and its untamed, characterful links design.
9. Royal Lytham & St Annes
In Lancashire, Royal Lytham & St Annes has hosted 11 Opens, including 2012 (Ernie Els), and is unusual as an Open course set inland of the sea, surrounded by red-brick suburbia. Visitor green fees run about £260 for 2027.
It opens with a par-3 — rare among championship courses — and is defended by more than 200 bunkers. Bobby Jones won the 1926 Open here, commemorated by a plaque on the 17th. Lytham ranks for its dense bunkering, its championship history, and its accessibility relative to the marquee Scottish venues.
10. Turnberry (Ailsa Course)
The Ailsa Course at Turnberry in Ayrshire hosted four Opens, including the legendary 1977 "Duel in the Sun" between Watson and Nicklaus. Though currently off the active rota, it remains one of the most scenic and revered Open venues. Resort green fees run about £400 for 2027, the priciest here.
A Martin Ebert redesign added the spectacular lighthouse-side par-3 9th, and the course offers views to the Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran. Turnberry ranks for its iconic Open moments and unmatched cliffside scenery, even as its future rota status remains uncertain.
How to Choose
Building a trip around Open Championship venues lets you walk the same turf as golf's greatest champions, but these courses vary widely in access, cost, and difficulty. The active-rota venues — St Andrews, Royal Portrush, Royal Birkdale, Royal Troon, Royal Liverpool, and Royal St George's — offer the most authentic championship feel, while historic hosts like Turnberry and Carnoustie remain spectacular even when off the current rotation.
Some, like Muirfield, restrict visitor play to specific days, and others, like the Old Course, allocate tee times through ballots and advance packages that demand early planning. Costs swing dramatically, from the £400 splurge at Turnberry to the comparatively attainable £260 at Royal Lytham, so a well-built itinerary mixes marquee rounds with value venues.
Use these guidelines to plan:
- Prioritize active-rota courses for the full championship feel. St Andrews, Portrush, Birkdale, Troon, Hoylake, and Royal St George's are all in current Open rotation.
- Match fee to budget. Turnberry (£400) and Muirfield (£365) are splurges; Carnoustie (£280) and Royal Lytham (£260) offer Open golf for less.
- Book limited-access courses early. Muirfield's two visitor days and St Andrews' advance/ballot slots disappear fast for the 2027 season.
- Cluster geographically. Scotland's east (St Andrews, Carnoustie, Muirfield), England's northwest (Birkdale, Hoylake, Lytham), and the Ayrshire coast (Troon, Turnberry) each form tight circuits.
- Use official links trusts and management companies. St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Turnberry handle public bookings directly for the best rates and guaranteed times.
FAQ
Which course has hosted The Open the most times?
The Old Course at St Andrews holds the record with 30 Opens, most recently the 150th Championship in 2022. Prestwick, the original 1860 venue, hosted 24 but is no longer on the rota.
What is the cheapest Open Championship course to play?
Royal Lytham & St Annes at about £260 and Carnoustie at about £280 are the most attainable active or historic Open venues, both offering genuine visitor access without the marquee-resort pricing of Turnberry or Muirfield.
Which Open course is the hardest?
Carnoustie is widely considered the toughest on the rota — long, exposed, and guarded by the Barry Burn across its closing holes, earning the nickname "Carnasty." Muirfield is stern but regarded as the fairest test.
Can the public play Muirfield?
Yes, but access is restricted. Muirfield opens to visitors on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, with a 2027 green fee of about £365 that traditionally includes the famous clubhouse lunch. Book well in advance.
Bottom Line
To walk the same fairways as golf's greatest champions, the Old Course at St Andrews at about £320 is the Best Overall — a record 30-time Open host with genuine public access. For stern championship golf at a more attainable price, Carnoustie at roughly £280 is the clear Best Value.
Sources
- The R&A — Open Championship complete venue and results history
- *Golf Digest* — Open rota course rankings
- St Andrews Links Trust — official green fee and ballot information
- *Golf Monthly* — Open Championship venues guide
- *Top 100 Golf Courses* (top100golfcourses.com) — Open venue profiles
- VisitScotland and VisitBritain — championship golf guides
- *Links Magazine* — Open rota course reviews