They are two courses both found in the top 10 of NCG’s Top 100 GB&I rankings – and once a fixture for hosting the Claret Jug. But it’s been quite a while since The Open was held at either Royal Lytham & St Annes or Muirfield.
Ernie Els took the spoils in Lancashire in 2012 and Phil Mickelson won in East Lothian a year later.
With Royal Portrush hosting next year, and Royal Birkdale in 2026, when could these two formidable venues stage the game’s oldest major championship again?
Dan Murphy and I chatted about this in the latest episode of The NCG Golf Podcast and you can listen in detail to our thoughts here.
Here, though, I lay out my thoughts on why we still may be waiting a while to see that famous logo back at Muirfield or Royal Lytham…
Open golf venues: Muirfield
No one doubts Muirfield’s class as a golf course, but the wait has been somewhat self-inflicted – largely stemming from the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’ initial refusal to admit women members in 2016.
A vote did get through in 2017 and their staging of the AIG Women’s Open for the first time five years later should be viewed as a stepping stone to the return of the Claret Jug.
Outgoing R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers certainly boosted spirits in his final pre-Open press conference at Royal Troon when saying, “Absolutely, we’re going back to Muirfield.”
So when could that be? It might not be before 2029. With Portrush and Birkdale locked up, the Old Course at St Andrews usually stages The Open every five years.
That’s been the case since 1990, save for altering the schedule so the hallowed turf would have the 150th in 2022.
If the R&A revert to the previous pattern, that ties up 2027.
Would the Open return immediately to Scotland again the following year? That hasn’t happened since Turnberry was followed by St Andrews in 2009 and 2010.
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A further complication is the Scottish Open, the week before, being held at next-door Renaissance.
Slumbers referred to this in his meeting with the media, saying: “I’ll have a little conversation with Mr Kinnings about maybe moving the Scottish Open from The Renaissance.”
That’s Guy Kinnings, DP World Tour chief executive. The Scottish Open is scheduled to be there until 2026.
So a lot depends on where St Andrews ends up in the calendar but The Open will go back to Muirfield eventually.
Open golf venues: Royal Lytham
Royal Lytham’s fate rather depends on how you view the concentration of Open venues in the North West.
Royal Portrush’s elevation to the rota in 2019 and its quick return in 2025 has left Lytham as the championship’s forgotten child.
Hoylake is back in vogue, having held The Open in 2006, 2014 and 2023. The tournament returns to Birkdale in 2026.
With Northern Ireland looking like a staple, and investigations ongoing to see if it’s feasible at Portmarnock in the Republic, do you need three venues around the coast from Southport to Blackpool?
Once, when the more northern Scottish venues weren’t attracting anywhere near the same number of spectators, there was an economic imperative to go to places that put bums on seats.
But one of Martin Slumbers’ biggest legacies at the R&A will surely be to have made The Open a must-see event.
Fear of missing out is huge now for this championship. Ballots open more than a year in advance and the event sells out.
Troon’s attendance this year peaked at 250,000 for the week – a massive increase on the 173,000 who watched Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson’s duel in 2016.
There just isn’t the same financial need to have three Open venues within such close proximity and Lytham could find itself the odd one out.
That said, change the St Andrews date, pop Muirfield into 2027, and with Royal St George’s, Birkdale and Hoylake all having held The Open in a relatively short timeframe, and with Portmarnock probably not ready, there remains a chink of light.
We’re not going back to Turnberry any time soon either, and Lytham will hope – having worked hard on infrastructure – their time will come again.
Now listen to The NCG Golf Podcast
What do you make of the Open golf venues? Steve Carroll and Dan Murphy chat about The Open at Royal Troon and debate future venues. You can listen to the episode here or catch up on your preferred podcast supplier.
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