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 chosen to host the 156th Open in 2028. The 2024 edition of the tournament will be played at Royal Birkdale, and the historic links at St Andrews are slated to welcome the championship in 2027.
Turnberry, which has long campaigned for a regular place on the Open rota, remains off the schedule for the foreseeable future. The R&A’s chief executive, Mark Darbon, explained to Sky Sports that the principal obstacle is logistics. He noted that a modern Open requires a massive infrastructure of roads, rail links and accommodation, and Turnberry’s remote position on the Ayrshire coast makes it difficult to meet those standards without substantial investment.
"The challenge at Turnberry is a logistical challenge," Darbon said. "You see the scale of a modern Open championship – the road, rail and accommodation network around that venue is challenging to deliver what we now deliver. We have a good dialogue with the venue, we’re open‑minded, we’ll maintain that dialogue and see where we get." Muirfield, another storied Scottish club, was also left out of the R&A’s near‑term plans. The course last staged the Open in 2013 when Phil Mickelson secured a three‑shot victory.
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 has still not been re‑added to the rotation, despite a public appeal from Rory McIlroy in early 2024. The nearest opportunity for Muirfield appears to be 2031, after the nearby Renaissance Club has secured the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030.
The 2028 Open will return to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the first time since 2012, when Ernie Els captured his second Claret Jug on the historic links. Lytham has 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 course, saying, "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. This is one of golf's most cherished and historic venues and the Open's return will spark huge interest among fans to be part of one of the world's great sporting events and celebrate the rich traditions of golf's original Championship." Tim Walker, chairman of the council at Royal Lytham & St Annes, echoed that sentiment: "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 its traditional August slot in 2028 to avoid a clash with the Los Angeles Olympic Games. The 2025 Open was won by Scottie Scheffler at Royal Portrush, giving him his fourth major and first Claret Jug.
This year's Open will be staged at Royal Birkdale from July 16‑19, while Lytham will also host the AIG Women's Open from July 29 to August 2. Donald Trump, who purchased Turnberry in April 2014, has long hoped the course could re‑enter the Open rotation.
He reportedly appealed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to have the venue selected for 2028. Turnberry’s Ailsa Course last hosted the Open in 2009, when Stewart Cink claimed the title.
Over the four rounds, roughly 120,000 spectators attended, underscoring the course’s capacity to draw crowds despite its remote location. Nevertheless, the R&A remains cautious. In a 2021 statement the organization warned that a Turnberry Open might become more about the former U.S. president than about the sport itself.
That warning followed the PGA of America’s decision to strip Trump National Golf Club Bedminster of its right to host the 2022 PGA Championship. "We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future," the R&A said. "We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself, and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances." In 2025, Eric Trump met with R&A officials to discuss the venue. The talks were described as constructive, but logistical and financial concerns persisted.
Darbon said he would "love" to see the Open back at Turnberry, yet emphasized that without major upgrades to road, rail and accommodation infrastructure, a return is unlikely. "Unless we address the logistical challenges, it's difficult for us to go back," he told Sky Sports. "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 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 said. "We have explained the logistical challenges around Turnberry to the government, and they are aware of the position." Ticket demand for the Open remains enormous.
Over one million applications were received for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, and the 2025 tournament at Royal Portrush set a record with 278,000 spectators across four days – the highest attendance for an Open outside St Andrews. While Turnberry remains on the sidelines, 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. In summary, Royal Lytham & St Annes will host the 2028 Open, marking a return after a 16‑year hiatus, while Turnberry continues to face logistical hurdles that keep it out of the rotation for now. The R&A’s focus remains on delivering a championship where the spotlight stays on the players, the course, and the storied tradition of the Open, rather than on external political or logistical distractions.