The final golf major tournament of the year, the 152nd British Open, begins this week on Thursday, July 18. The tournament is being held at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
Like three of the other majors, excluding the Masters, the Open is played at a different golf course each year. However, the Open chooses each year's course based on a rotation that includes nine courses along the coasts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The current rotation includes Royal Troon, Royal Portrush, Royal Birkdale, the Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Royal St. George’s, Muirfield, Carnoustie and Royal Liverpool.
2024 British Open Course
The 2024 British Open is being held at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland this year for the 10th time in its history. The course was created in 1878.
Royal Troon first hosted the Open Championships in 1923, then most recently in 2016. Some notable wins at the course include Arnold Palmer's second Open title in 1962 and Tom Watson's fourth win in 1982. Six Americans have won in the previous nine Opens held at Royal Troon. Swede Henrik Stenson won at Royal Troon in 2016.
So, where can golf fans expect to see the British Open played in the next couple years?
Future U.S. Open Locations
Unlike other major tournaments, the British Open has only released the upcoming location dates for the next two years.
2025 British Open Location
Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland will host the Open just for the third time in course history. The tournament was first held there in 1951, but then took a 68-year hiatus. The course most recently held the major tournament in 2019 when Irishman Shane Lowry won.
The course was created in 1888, and changed its name a few times since then.
Because of the successes of the 2019 Open, the tournament decided to return to the Northern Ireland course again in 2025. The course solidified itself within the rotation for the Open after the 2019 tournament.
2026 British Open Location
Royal Birkdale is notable to golf fans as the course has hosted the Open 10 previous times. The course was originally created in 1889, but was renovated in 1922.
Royal Birkdale first hosted the Open in 1954 as Australian Peter Thomson won his first of five Open titles there. He later won his fifth at Royal Birkdale in 1965. The course most recently held the major tournament in 2017 when Jordan Spieth won his pivotal Open title.
Out of the 10 previous times the Open has been played at Royal Birkdale, six of the winners have been repeat Open champions. Arnold Palmer won his first Open title there, while Tom Watson won his fifth title there in 1983.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Future British Open Championship Locations for 2025, 2026.
