Future Open Championship Venues: Where Is It Heading In 2027 And Beyond?

After the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, The Open heads back to Scotland for what will be a very special week.

St Andrews' Old Course will host its 31st Open in 2027, when it stages the 155th edition of golf's oldest Major. That will mark five years since the historic 150th playing, where Cameron Smith took down Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy to lift the Claret Jug.

There will be a return to Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2028 for the first time in 16 years, but beyond that we do not know where The Open is heading - despite knowing the US Open venues up until 2051.

Here's a look at the future Open venues and our speculation on where it could be heading beyond the years confirmed...

Future Open Championship venues

2027: 155th Open Championship - St Andrews Old Course

The Open heads back to St Andrews' Old Course in 2027 for the 155th edition.

It will host for the first time in five years after Cameron Smith's victory in 2022.

The iconic links is one of the most famous golf courses in the world and has seen memorable wins from the likes of James Braid, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods through the years.

2028: 154th Open Championship - Royal Lytham & St Annes

Lytham will stage its 12th Open and first since Ernie Els' victory in 2012, when the South African won his second Claret Jug and fourth Major title after Adam Scott finished with four consecutive bogeys to agonizingly miss out.

The championship will take place from August 3-6 in two years' time, having moved later in the schedule due to the 2028 Olympics.

Royal Lytham and St Annes also hosts the 2026 AIG Women's Open, after last staging the Ricoh Women's British Open, as it was known then, in 2018 when Georgia Hall triumphed to win her maiden Major title.

Where will The Open take place in 2029?

The R&A rarely hosts The Open in the same country in back-to-back years, so it is unlikely we'll see an English venue in 2029 - although Royal St George's could be in the running as that is on the south coast and hasn't staged an Open since 2021.

With Royal Portrush hosting as recent as 2025, it would be a surprise to see it return so quickly so we'd hazard a guess it will go back to Scotland. A Muirfield return is highly anticipated, but there are logistical challenges, while the same story can be said about Turnberry.

Royal Troon last hosted in 2024 so that would be a quick return. If it goes back to Scotland, Muirfield or Turnberry may be in the running but the favorite could be Carnoustie.

The Angus links last hosted in 2018, when Francesco Molinari became the first Italian winner of the Claret Jug.

The R&A could throw in a curveball, though, as speculation continues to mount that Portmarnock will host The Open in the not-too-distant future.

The Open has never left the United Kingdom before, but the club, which is located on the north-east edge of Ireland's capital, Dublin, has long been tipped to host golf's oldest Major Championship.

Ahead of the 154th Open, R&A chief Mark Darbon said "we're getting pretty close" to a Portmarnock Open. "That work is pretty much done. We've confirmed that we believe we can take an Open Championship there," he said.

So, we'd make Carnoustie or Portmarnock the favorites for 2029, with Muirfield, Turnberry and Royal St George's in the running.