How Much Does it Cost to Play The Open Championship Golf Courses

By: Kieran Clark | Wed 19 Jul 2023

Each of The Open venues introduce their own ingredient to golf's oldest championship. Individually, they have their own character and unique qualities and boast a special chapter of history that comes together to make this the most timeless of majors.

More than that, a beauty of these courses is that everyone has the opportunity to play at least one of them during their lifetime, something that we fully recommend. Good luck trying to find a tee time at Augusta National or a game of tennis at Wimbledon - but you can walk in the footsteps of Champion Golfers and try to emulate the shots they played!

There is no doubt that these experiences are premium in cost - with green fees rising exponentially. But the opportunity is there - and that's enough for any golfer to allow themselves to dream and imagine what it would be like to play all of the 14 courses that have staged The Open.

We have done our research to see how much such an adventure would cost, referencing 2024 prices where possible. Maybe it's time to skip a few holidays or forgo that new car and have a go at completing The Open Rota!

Carnoustie

The famously testing Championship Course at Carnoustie most recently hosted The Open in 2018, when Francesco Molinari became the first Italian winner. Ben Hogan secured a legendary triumph here in his only appearance back in 1953, while Henry Cotton, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Paul Lawrie and Padraig Harrington are among the others who have conquered (or survived!) this brilliant layout.

Opens Hosted: 1931, 1937, 1953, 1968, 1975, 1999, 2007, 2018

Standard Summer Green Fee: £300

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £198 (Late October)

Muirfield

It was a decade ago when Phil Mickelson finally mastered links golf with a thrilling success at Muirfield, home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. When you see the list of champions in East Lothian, it's clear to see why this course is revered by so many. Mickelson joined Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els in claiming the Claret Jug here.

Opens Hosted: 1892, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1912, 1929, 1935, 1948, 1959, 1966, 1972, 1980, 1987, 1992, 2002, 2013

Standard Summer Green Fee: £340

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £125 (November & December)

Musselburgh Links

Truly a monument to the game, Musselburgh Links (which sits inside the Musselburgh Racecourse) hosted six Open Championships between 1874 and 1889. Golf has been played on this land for centuries and golfers far and wide pay homage to that history by regularly playing hickories on these storied nine-holes.

Opens Hosted: 1874, 1877, 1880, 1883, 1886, 1889

Standard Summer Green Fee: £19.30 (Weekends)

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £17.50 (Weekdays)

Prestwick

The birthplace of The Open. It was back in 1860 when Tom Morris Sr hit the first shot in championship history and started a tale that continues to this day, 163 years later. Prestwick last hosted the event in 1925, but its unique and fascinating layout still captivates golfers who make the pilgrimage to Ayrshire.

Opens Hosted: 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1872, 1875, 1878, 1881, 1884, 1887, 1890, 1893, 1898, 1903, 1908, 1914, 1925

Standard Summer Green Fee: £240

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £120 (Winter)

Prince's

This venue in Kent only welcomed a solitary Open, but it was an impactful one, as the legendary Gene Sarazen secured the Claret Jug. Having been damaged during the Second World War, the course was revamped, but in more recent years it has been further enhanced, transforming Prince's into one of the finest golf locations to visit in the South East of England.

Opens Hosted: 1932

Standard Summer Green Fee: £135

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £80

Royal Birkdale

It was just recently confirmed that The Open will make its way back to Birkdale in 2026 - and venues quite simply don't come much better than this. Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Ian Baker-Finch, Mark O'Meara, Padraig Harrington and Jordan Spieth have all won on a course that many consider to be England's finest links.

Opens Hosted: 1954, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1991, 1998, 2008, 2017, 2026

Standard Summer Green Fee: £340

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £240 (April & October)

Royal Cinque Ports

Sometimes overshadowed by nearby Royal St George's, this fabulous course in Deal hosted a pair of Opens during the early 20th century, won by J.H. Taylor and Scotland's George Duncan. It continues to draw golfers who wish to complete the set of Open venues in this corner of the coastline in Kent; namely Deal, Sandwich and Prince's.

Opens Hosted: 1909, 1920

Standard Summer Green Fee: £235

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £150 (Winter)

Royal Liverpool

The Open host in 2023, Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, boasts a lengthy history having first greeted the championship back in 1897. Bobby Jones won here in 1930 as part of his Grand Slam, while Peter Thomson completed a hat-trick of victories in 1956. More recently, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have made this wonderful part of Merseyside their own.

Opens Hosted: 1897, 1902, 1907, 1913, 1924, 1930, 1936, 1947, 1956, 1967, 2006, 2014, 2023

Standard Summer Green Fee: £265 (September 2023)

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £215 (October 2023)

Royal Lytham & St Annes

Without any view of the sea itself, Royal Lytham & St Annes is a more intimate, self-contained links, that is known for its many bunkers and challenging finishing stretch. Seve Ballesteros won two of his Opens here, while the likes of Bobby Locke, Tony Jacklin, David Duval and Ernie Els have also triumphed in Lancashire.

Opens Hosted: 1926, 1952, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1988, 1996, 2001, 2012

Standard Summer Green Fee: £320

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £205 (October to March)

Royal Portrush

No one will ever forget the atmosphere when The Open made its way back to Northern Ireland and Shane Lowry secured victory in 2019. Max Faulkner won the first Open Championship held outside Scotland and England here in 1951, but luckily we won't have to wait another seven decades for a Portrush return, as the event will be staged there again in 2025.

Opens Hosted: 1951, 2019, 2025

Standard Summer Green Fee: £340

Cheapest Available Green Fee: N/A

Royal St George's

Collin Morikawa defied his lack of links experience by winning a captivating championship at Sandwich in 2021. Royal St George's was England's first Open venue and has been a consistent part of the story. Harry Vardon, Bobby Locke, Sandy Lyle, Greg Norman and Darren Clarke have all claimed the Claret Jug on this undulating course.

Opens Hosted: 1894, 1899, 1904, 1911, 1922, 1928, 1934, 1938, 1949, 1981, 1985, 1993, 2003, 2011, 2021

Standard Summer Green Fee: £330

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £125 (December 2023)

Royal Troon

Troon most recently staged one of the most unforgettable duels in golf history when Henrik Stenson edged Phil Mickelson in a classic. That ended a long series of American winners that included Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Watson, Mark Calcavecchia, Justin Leonard, and Todd Hamilton. The Open is back in Ayrshire in 2024.

Opens Hosted: 1923, 1950, 1962, 1973, 1982, 1989, 1997, 2004, 2016, 2024

Standard Summer Green Fee: £340

Cheapest Available Green Fee: N/A

St Andrews

The 150th Open was the 30th staged at The Old Course at St Andrews, the spiritual Home of Golf. Cameron Smith joined a list of champions in Fife that includes Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, Peter Thomson, Sam Snead and Bobby Jones. Walking in their steps is a privilege all golfers should experience at least once.

Opens Hosted: 1873, 1876, 1879, 1882, 1885, 1888, 1891, 1895, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1921, 1927, 1933, 1939, 1946, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1964, 1970, 1978, 1984, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2022

Standard Summer Green Fee: £295

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £150 (Winter)

Turnberry

A comparatively modern Open venue, Turnberry made an instant name for itself when it hosted the 1977 championship, in which Tom Watson narrowly defeated Jack Nicklaus in timeless fashion. Greg Norman and Nick Price both triumphed here, before Watson remarkably rolled back the decades on the Ailsa Course to lose a playoff to Stewart Cink in 2009.

Opens Hosted: 1977, 1986, 1994, 2009

Standard Summer Green Fee: £450

Cheapest Available Green Fee: £175 (Winter)

How Much Would it Cost in Total?

Looking at the standard green fees in the peak season, we reckon that playing all of The Open courses in that scenario would cost £3,949.30. However, should you look at the available winter prices, then the overall total can be whittled down somewhat to £2,480.50.

Ultimately, rather than trying to tick each of them off, you may choose just one or two for a treat. But where should you go first? Well, here are the experiences that most impressed everyday users of Golfshake.