Donald Trump’s Turnberry Golf Club will not be the stage for the next Open Championship, as the R&A announced that Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club has been selected to host the 156th Open in 2028. This decision means that the 2024 Open will be played at Royal Birkdale, while the historic links at St Andrews are slated to welcome the championship in 2027.
Turnberry, which has long campaigned for a regular spot on the Open rota, remains sidelined for the foreseeable future. The venue’s owner, former U.S. President Donald Trump, has repeatedly lobbied for inclusion, but the governing body cites a series of logistical and financial hurdles that must be resolved before the course can be reconsidered.
"The challenge at Turnberry is a logistical challenge," said Mark Darbon, the current chief executive of the R&A, during a Sky Sports interview on Monday. He explained that the scale of a modern Open requires robust road, rail and accommodation networks, and that Turnberry’s remote position on the Ayrshire coast makes it difficult to meet those standards. "We have a good dialogue with the venue, we’re open‑minded, we’ll maintain that dialogue and see where we get," Darbon added. Muirfield, another storied Scottish club, was also omitted from the R&A’s short‑term plans.
The last time Muirfield hosted the Open was in 2013, when Phil Mickelson captured the Claret Jug. In 2016, former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers indicated that the club would not be considered again until it lifted its ban on female members. Although Muirfield members voted in 2017 to admit women, the venue still has not re‑entered the Open rotation, even after Rory McIlroy’s public appeal in early 2024. A realistic return for Muirfield is now projected for at least 2031, especially after the neighboring Renaissance Club secured the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030.
Royal Lytham & St Annes will host the 2028 Open from August 3‑6, marking its first turn at the championship since 2012, when Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug for the second time. Lytham’s illustrious roll of champions includes legends such as Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Sir Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval. Darbon praised the course, noting that it is "widely renowned as one of the world’s finest links courses" and that its rich history will generate huge excitement among fans when the Open returns.
Tim Walker, chairman of the council at Royal Lytham & St Annes, expressed pride in the selection: "We are honoured to be chosen as the host venue for the 156th Open in 2028. 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 and spectators to our links on England’s golf coast." The R&A is moving the Open back to its traditional August slot in 2028 to avoid clashing with the Los Angeles Olympic Games. The 2025 Open, won by Scottie Scheffler at Royal Portrush, was the 153rd edition, and this year’s tournament will be staged at Royal Birkdale from July 16‑19.
In addition, Royal Lytham & St Annes will host the AIG Women’s Open from July 29‑August 2, broadcast live on Sky Sports. Trump, who purchased Turnberry in April 2014, has reportedly appealed directly to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to have the course included in the Open schedule. Turnberry’s Ailsa Course has hosted the championship four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink won. Over those four Opens, roughly 120,000 spectators attended.
Despite the course’s reputation as one of the best in the British Isles, the R&A remains concerned that the remote location would shift focus away from the competition itself and onto political headlines surrounding the U.S. president’s ownership. In a 2021 statement, the R&A explained that it had reservations about the venue’s suitability, noting that the Open’s spotlight should remain on the players and the course, not on external controversies.
The sentiment echoed the PGA of America’s decision in 2022 to withdraw Trump National Golf Club Bedminster’s right to host the PGA Championship. A meeting in 2025 between Eric Trump and R&A officials was described as “largely positive,” yet the core issue of logistics persisted. Darbon said he would love to see the Open return to Turnberry, but emphasized that without significant improvements to transport and accommodation infrastructure, the venue remains impractical.
"Unless we address the logistical challenges, it’s difficult for us to go back," he said, recalling a recent discussion with Eric Trump and Turnberry leadership. The Guardian reported that a government spokesperson also urged the R&A to consider Turnberry for 2028, but the governing body stressed its independence from political pressure.
"We regularly engage with government and local authorities regarding venues," an R&A spokesperson told Sky Sports in 2025, "and we have explained the logistical challenges around Turnberry to them." Ticket demand for upcoming Opens continues to surge. Over one million applications were received for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, while the 2025 event at Royal Portrush set a record with 278,000 spectators across four days—the highest attendance outside St Andrews. Despite Turnberry’s current exclusion from the Open rota, the PGA Tour will soon travel to Trump National Doral in Miami for the inaugural Cadillac Championship, the fourth Signature Event of the 2026 season, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
In summary, while Trump’s Turnberry remains a coveted but unattainable venue for the Open in the near term, Royal Lytham & St Annes is set to host the 2028 championship, promising a return to classic links golf and a celebration of the sport’s storied traditions.