The Open Venue I Want to See Back - And It's Not Turnberry

The Open Championship rotation is perhaps the most treasured collection of golf courses on the planet. Staging the game's oldest major brings undoubted prestige to the venue and significant economic benefits to the local area, but as the parameters of hosting a sporting event of this magnitude continue to evolve, the practicality of certain locations being used in the future has come into doubt.

It was a century ago when Prestwick - the original home of the Open - made its last appearance, showing that nothing is sacred, but in the past decade, we've seen the championship returning often to Scotland but passing both Muirfield and Turnberry by.

There are social and political dimensions to both omissions. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers' tenuous journey to introducing women members at their Muirfield course made its status initially untenable, while on the west coast in South Ayrshire, the ownership of Donald Trump at Turnberry makes the prospect of bringing the championship back to the Ailsa Course a contentious one, to say the least.

Why Isn't The Open Going Back to Turnberry?

In reality, the highly commercialised nature of the event now means that rushing back to either of these destinations is not the most appealing or financially prudent prospect for organisers anyway.

Featured Content

With 278,000 spectators expected at Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush in July, the most recent four editions of the championship are the highest attended in history.

The ability to facilitate such a large crowd, both physically on the ground, and more essentially having the infrastructure to transport and accommodate that number of people makes the remote location of Turnberry an improbable hurdle to overcome.

Just this week, new R&A Chief Executive, Mark Dabron, explained the issues. "At Turnberry, there are definitely some logistical and commercial challenges that we face around the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure. We’re doing some feasibility work around what it would look like to return to that venue and the investment that it would require.

"The last time we were there [in 2009], I think we had just over 120,000 people," Darbon said. "We’ve just announced that this summer we’re going to welcome nearly 280,000 people [at Royal Portrush]. A modern Open Championship is a large-scale event. What we know for sure is the golf course is brilliant, so at some point we’d love to be back there."

As for Muirfield in East Lothian, the last championship staged there in 2013 welcomed an attendance of just over 142,000, which was far below expectations.

Despite the noise on this subject being dominated by (especially) Turnberry and Muirfield, there is another esteemed venue that has been neglected of late, which many keen observers would relish to see given the spotlight one more time.

What About Royal Lytham & St Annes?

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Lancashire's Royal Lytham & St Annes first hosted the Open in 1926 when legendary amateur Bobby Jones claimed the first of three Claret Jugs. 

In the 1950s, the defining champions of that era, Bobby Locke and Peter Thomson both won there, while Bob Charles in 1963 became the first left-hander to secure a major title. Tony Jacklin unforgettably ended a lengthy British drought six years later, while Gary Player grasped his third victory in 1974.

Seve Ballesteros won twice at Lytham - in 1979 and 1988 - which by itself should grant this place an iconic reputation, while more recent champions are Tom Lehman (1996), David Duval (2001) and Ernie Els (2012).

But since the big South African capitalised on Adam Scott's shocking finish to win his fourth major, Lytham has not been part of the Open rota, and there is little sign of when that opportunity may arise again.

It has welcomed numerous Women's Opens, however, with the 2026 (and 50th) edition of that major to be held on this revered links, while many a Senior Open has also been staged here.

Like the other Open rota courses, Royal Lytham & St Annes has unique characteristics. It starts with a par three and boasts more bunkers than any of the other venues. The problem is not the quality of the layout, which is outstanding, but rather the question of space.

The course is effectively land-locked, being entirely surrounded by residential homes and the town, which creates a wonderfully intimate feel not offered elsewhere, but in this age of maximising attendance and hospitality revenue, the limited acreage of the site makes accommodating the modern infrastructure of the championship a struggle.

But changes are coming to make that possible again. Just last year, the club received planning permission to make several alterations, including a new practice ground and practice tee, building a new tee on the 14th hole, rerouting the 11th fairway and works to improve the road system to provide access around the course.

Should these measures be successful, it opens the door for an Open to return to Lytham in the future.

Given the continued prominence of Royal Birkdale and the comeback of Royal Liverpool to the rotation in 2006, some could argue that featuring another venue in the North West of England shouldn't be a priority, but there is no question that Royal Lytham & St Annes merits a place in the ongoing story of the Open, and I (a Scot) would far rather see the championship make a return there long before I want to see it back at Turnberry.

Related Content

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Feature Review

Why The North West is The Best For Golf in England

Is This The Best Open Championship Venue

Ranking The Open Venues

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

The Best Golf Courses to Play Near The Open Venues