Open Rota

Iconic Open Championship venues

No less than 14 golf courses have staged the best and most important golf competition in the world; The Open Championship.

Ten of the venues can be construed as being on the 'current rota' whilst it is almost certain that Prince's, Royal Cinque Ports, Musselburgh Old and Prestwick will never again decide the Champion Golfer of the Year.

Golf Empire founder, Ed Battye, has played all of the Open Championship venues and below he lists them in order of his personal preference.

St. Andrews Links (Old)

There’s very little that hasn’t been written about the golfing mecca that is St. Andrews.

Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce)

I don’t think I would ever accept the notion that a golf course is perfect – not even The Old Course at St. Andrews – but boy does Royal Portrush come close. Tantalisingly close.

Royal St. George's Golf Club

In my mind Royal St. George’s at Sandwich is a championship links golf course with few, if any, superiors.

Turnberry Golf Club (Ailsa)

Not all golf courses are created equal and that can certainly be said about Trump Turnberry.

Muirfield Golf Course

Muirfield is one of the most historically important golfing venues in the world.

Carnoustie (Championship)

I recently took advantage of the 3-round ticket that the Carnoustie Golf Links offers. For the sum of £200 this entitled me to one round on each of the three courses (Championship, Burnside & Buddon) that are looked after by the management committee of this iconic Open venue.

Prestwick Golf Club

Prestwick has been on my hit list of golf courses to play for quite some time and I’m ashamed to say it has taken me far too long to visit this iconic links. From everything I’d read and heard I was expecting it to be ‘my type’ of golf.

Royal Birkdale Golf Club

Royal Birkdale is a golf course which is incredibly hard not to like but at the same time it’s not an easy one to truly love.

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club

I always enjoy my visits to play Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club at Deal, the Kentish town that the course is often referred to by name.

Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club

As you would expect from a club that has seen the Claret Jug contested over its links on no less than eleven occasions Royal Lytham & St. Annes didn't disappoint.

Royal Troon Golf Club (Old)

Playing Royal Troon less than a fortnight after Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson had produced what is arguably the greatest golfing duel in history, and certainly the best final day of an Open Championship, was a special occasion.

Prince's Golf Club (Himalayas)

Prince's is a truly superb 27-hole links complex that makes for a great play & stay venue but the emphasis is certainly more on the play side of things, it's all about the golf here.

Prince's Golf Club (Shore & Dunes)

Prince's is a truly superb 27-hole links complex that makes for a great play & stay venue but the emphasis is certainly more on the play side of things, it's all about the golf here.

Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) Golf Club

It could be argued that no golf club has had a greater influence on the amateur game of golf than Royal Liverpool, the second oldest links in England behind only Royal North Devon.

Musselburgh Old Golf Club

It’s not every day you get to play the oldest golf course in the world!