The Open has become such a behemoth of an event that, sadly, there are many forgotten venues no longer suitable for hosting.
The battle for the Claret Jug has grown so much since even the turn of this century that far more than just a quality golf course is required to satisfy the R&A. There will be 300,000 fans in total on-site throughout the week at Royal Birkdale, which is up from the 235,000 in 2017 when it last hosted.
