Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf Club will not be staging The Open Championship in the near term after the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club was confirmed as the host for the 156th Open in 2028. The 2024 edition of the major will take place at Royal Birkdale, and the tournament will move back to the historic "Home of Golf" at St Andrews in 2027.
While Turnberry has long campaigned for a place on the Open rotation, the R&A has indicated that the venue will not be considered until a number of logistical hurdles are resolved. The R&A’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, explained to Sky Sports that Turnberry presents a "logistical challenge" of a scale that is difficult to manage for a modern Open. He noted that the road, rail and accommodation networks surrounding the Ayrshire coast are not yet capable of supporting the massive influx of players, officials, media and spectators that a major championship demands. "We have a good dialogue with the venue and we remain open‑minded," Darpon said, adding that the conversation will continue but that any decision will hinge on tangible improvements to infrastructure.
Muirfield, another storied Scottish links, was also omitted from the R&A’s short‑term plans. The club last hosted the Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson captured the Claret Jug. Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers had previously warned that Muirfield would not be considered again until it lifted its ban on female members. Although the club voted in 2017 to admit women, it still has not been reinstated to the Open rota, despite a high‑profile appeal from Rory McIlroy in early 2024.
The next realistic window for Muirfield’s return is projected to be 2031, after the neighboring Renaissance Club completes its tenure as host of the Genesis Scottish Open. Royal Lytham & St Annes will host the 2028 Open from August 3‑6, marking its first appearance at the championship since 2012, when Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug for the second time.
The course boasts a distinguished roll of champions that includes Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Sir Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval. Darbon praised the venue, stating, "Royal Lytham & St Annes is widely renowned as one of the world’s finest links courses and has witnessed many great championship moments since The Open was first played there in 1926 when the legendary Bobby Jones won." He added that the return will generate enormous excitement among fans and celebrate the deep traditions of golf’s original championship.
Tim Walker, chairman of the council at Royal Lytham & St Annes, echoed that sentiment, saying, "We are honoured to be chosen as the host venue for The 156th Open in 2028. The club has a long and successful association with The Open, and we take great pride in our place within the Championship's history. It is fitting that this announcement comes as we mark 100 years since Bobby Jones' victory here in 1926 and the granting of our Royal status. We look forward to welcoming the world’s leading players, together with spectators and audiences from across the globe, to our links on England’s golf coast." The R&A is moving the Open back to August in 2028 to avoid a clash with the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The 2025 Open at Royal Portrush was won by Scottie Scheffler, who claimed his fourth major and first Claret Jug. This year’s Open will be staged at Royal Birkdale from July 16‑19, while Royal Lytham & St Annes will also host the AIG Women’s Open from July 29‑August 2, both events televised on Sky Sports. President Donald Trump has long hoped that Turnberry could re‑enter the Open rotation. He purchased the resort in April 2014 and has reportedly lobbied Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to secure the venue for a future championship.
Turnberry’s Ailsa Course has hosted the Open four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink emerged victorious. That edition attracted roughly 120,000 spectators over four days. Despite its reputation as one of the premier courses in the British Isles, the R&A remains concerned that Turnberry’s remote location would shift the focus away from the competition itself and onto political and logistical issues. In 2021 the R&A publicly stated that it had “no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future,” emphasizing that the organisation would not return until it was convinced the event’s emphasis would be on the players, the championship and the course, not on external factors.
This stance followed the PGA of America’s decision to strip Trump National Golf Club Bedminster of its right to host the 2022 PGA Championship. In 2025, Eric Trump met with R&A officials to discuss Turnberry’s prospects. While the talks were described as constructive, the core issue of logistics persisted.
Darbon said he would "love" to see the Open back at Turnberry, but reiterated that the venue is not currently viable from a financial or infrastructural standpoint. He recalled, "Unless we address the logistical challenges, it's difficult for us to go back. I met a couple of months ago with Eric Trump and some of the leadership from the Trump golf organisation from Turnberry.
We had a really good discussion. I think they understand clearly where we are coming from. We talked through some of the challenges that we have, so we have a good dialogue with them." The Guardian reported that a government spokesperson also approached the R&A in 2025, urging the body to consider Turnberry for the 2028 Open. The R&A clarified that its venue decisions are independent of political pressure, although it does maintain regular communication with national and local authorities about venue suitability.
"We have explained the logistical challenges around Turnberry to the government, and they are aware of the position," an R&A spokesperson told Sky Sports. Ticket demand for the Open remains robust. Over one million applications were received for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, and the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush set a record with 278,000 attendees across four days – the highest non‑St Andrews attendance in the event’s history. Darbon summed up the R&A’s position: "I think we've been extremely clear on our position in respect of Turnberry.
We love the golf course but we've got some big logistical challenges there. You see the scale of their set‑up here and we've got some work to do on the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure." Meanwhile, the PGA Tour will head to Trump National Doral in Miami for the inaugural Cadillac Championship, the fourth Signature Event of the 2026 season, broadcast live on Sky Sports. The event highlights the continued commercial relationship between the Trump golf brand and major tour organizers, even as the Open remains out of reach for Turnberry. In summary, while Turnberry’s Ailsa Course remains a beloved venue among players and fans, the combination of remote geography, insufficient transport links, limited accommodation capacity, and the desire to keep the spotlight on the sport rather than political figures means it will not feature in the Open rotation for the foreseeable future.
Royal Lytham & St Annes, with its storied history and robust infrastructure, will take centre stage in 2028, promising another chapter of dramatic competition on one of golf’s most cherished links courses.