Donald Trump’s Turnberry Golf Club will not be the venue for the next Open Championship, as the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club has been announced as the host for the 156th Open in 2028. This decision means that Turnberry, which has long campaigned to rejoin the Open rotation, will have to wait indefinitely while a series of logistical and financial hurdles are resolved.
The 2028 Open will be played from August 3 to August 6, returning to Royal Lytham for the first time since Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug there in 2012. The tournament will follow the 2027 Open at the historic "Home of Golf" in St Andrews and the 2026 edition at Royal Birkdale, which is scheduled for July 16‑19. In addition to the men’s championship, Royal Lytham will also stage the AIG Women’s Open from July 29 to August 2, providing a busy summer of elite golf on England’s coastal links.
The R&A’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, explained to Sky Sports that Turnberry presents a "logistical challenge" of a scale that would be difficult to manage for a modern major. He highlighted the need for robust road, rail and accommodation networks to support the influx of spectators, media, and support staff that a contemporary Open demands.
"We have a good dialogue with the venue and we remain open‑minded," Darbon said, "but until those infrastructure issues are addressed, we cannot commit to Turnberry." Turnberry’s Ailsa Course has a proud Open pedigree, having hosted the championship four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink claimed victory. Over the four rounds, roughly 120,000 fans attended, underscoring the course’s appeal.
Nevertheless, its remote location on the Ayrshire coast, combined with the high profile of its owner, former U.S. President Donald Trump, has raised concerns that the focus could shift away from the sport and onto political headlines. In a 2021 statement, the R&A warned that the organization would not return to Turnberry "until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself." The issue is not limited to Turnberry. Muirfield, another storied Scottish links that last hosted the Open in 2013, remains absent from the R&A’s short‑term plans.
Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers noted in 2016 that Muirfield would need to lift its ban on female members before being reconsidered. Although the club voted in 2017 to admit women, it has yet to secure a slot in the rotation, despite vocal support from players such as Rory McIlroy. The nearest Open venue for Muirfield will be the Renaissance Club, which will stage the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030, pushing any potential Open return for Muirfield to at least 2031.
Royal Lytham & St Annes, meanwhile, has been celebrated for its rich championship history. Since first hosting the Open in 1926, when the legendary Bobby Jones won, the course has seen champions including Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Sir Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval. Darbon praised the venue as "one of the world’s finest links courses" and emphasized that its return would generate immense excitement among fans eager to experience the traditions of golf’s original major. Tim Walker, chairman of the council at Royal Lytham, expressed pride in the selection, noting that the announcement coincides with the centenary of Bobby Jones’s 1926 victory and the club’s receipt of Royal status.
He said the club looks forward to welcoming the world’s top players and a global audience to the English coast. The scheduling shift back to August for the 2028 Open is intended to avoid a clash with the Los Angeles Olympic Games, ensuring the championship retains its place as the final major of the season. The 2025 Open at Royal Portrush, won by Scottie Scheffler for his fourth major, set attendance records with 278,000 spectators across four days, the highest outside of St Andrews. The 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale attracted over one million ticket applications, highlighting the event’s growing popularity.
Trump’s aspirations for Turnberry remain strong. The former president purchased the resort in April 2014 and has reportedly lobbied Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to secure the 2028 slot.
In 2025, Eric Trump met with R&A officials, and while the discussions were described as “positive,” the core issue of logistics persisted. Darbon reiterated his personal admiration for the course, stating he would "love" to see the Open return, but emphasized that without substantial improvements to transport and accommodation, the venue cannot meet the demands of a modern major.
The British government has also been briefed on the situation. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office confirmed that while the government engages regularly with the R&A on venue matters, the decision to award the Open is independent of political influence. The R&A has made its position clear: Turnberry is a beautiful course, but the logistical challenges are currently insurmountable. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour continues to schedule high‑profile events at Trump‑owned facilities.
This week the inaugural Cadillac Championship will be held at Trump National Doral in Miami, marking the fourth Signature Event of the 2026 season and broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf. In summary, while Turnberry remains a dream venue for many supporters of Donald Trump’s golf empire, the practical realities of infrastructure, financial viability, and the desire to keep the spotlight on the sport itself have led the R&A to select Royal Lytham & St Annes for the 2028 Open. The decision reflects a broader commitment to preserving the integrity and tradition of golf’s oldest major while accommodating the evolving logistical demands of a global sporting spectacle.