Future Open venues: Which courses will host golf’s oldest major next?

There aren’t many things more exciting for golf fans than an Open host announcement – because that’s when we can all start planning our next trip to watch the world’s finest battle for the coveted Claret Jug.

So what are the future Open venues?

Currently, only the next two venues have been confirmed.

Here’s a quick rundown of where the ‘Champion Golfers of the Year’ will be crowned between now and 2026…

2025

Royal Portrush

Where: County Antrim, Northern Ireland
When: July 17-20
Previous years hosted: 1951, 2019

2026

Royal Birkdale

Where: Merseyside, England
When: July 16-19
Previous years hosted: 1954, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1991, 1998, 2008, 2017

• The Open: Royal Birkdale gets the nod to host 2026 championship

• Quiz: Can you name every American golfes to have won The Open

When will The Open return to St Andrews?

Since 1990, St Andrews’ Old Course has hosted The Open every five years until 2020, when it was decided that Royal St George’s would be the venue so the Home of Golf could hold the 150th edition of golf’s oldest major.

With a year’s break for the Covid pandemic, the Claret Jug was contested on the Kent coast in 2021 and everyone’s favourite corner of Fife a year later.

It’s opened a lot of speculation about when St Andrews will host another Open.

Returning to its regular slot of years ending in 5 and 0 would have meant just a three-year gap, but that talk was silenced when Portrush was handed the duties for a third time in 2025.

While no announcement has been made about St Andrews’ inclusion in the list of future Open venues – indeed, the decision may not even be finalised – it is likely the next time the Champion Golfer of the Year will be decided at its spiritual home is 2030.

Want to buy tickets to The Open? Visit the website for more information.