Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf Club will not be the host of The Open Championship in the near term, as the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club has been confirmed as the venue for the 156th Open in 2028. The 2024 edition of the major will be played at Royal Birkdale, and the tournament will travel back to the historic links of St Andrews in 2027 before moving north to Lytham for the 2028 showdown. Turnberry has long campaigned for a place on the Open rota, but the R&A has indicated that a number of practical obstacles must be resolved before the Scottish resort can be reconsidered. Current R&A Chief Executive Mark Darbon explained to Sky Sports that the scale of a modern Open demands a robust transport and accommodation network, and Turnberry's remote position on the Ayrshire coast presents a "logistical challenge" that the governing body is not yet prepared to overcome.
"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," Darbon said. "We've got a good dialogue with the venue, we're open‑minded, we'll maintain that dialogue and see where we get." The situation mirrors the R&A's stance on Muirfield, another storied Scottish club that has been absent from the rotation since its last Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson captured the Claret Jug. Muirfield was previously excluded because of its policy barring female members. Although the club voted in 2017 to admit women, the R&A has not yet slotted Muirfield back into the schedule, even after high‑profile appeals from players such as Rory McIlroy.
The nearest opportunity for Muirfield appears to be 2031, after the neighboring Renaissance Club secures the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030. Royal Lytham & St Annes, meanwhile, will host the Open for the first time since 2012, when Ernie Els lifted the trophy for his second victory.
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 as "one of the world's finest links courses" and highlighted its historic significance dating back to Bobby Jones' 1926 triumph.
Tim Walker, chairman of council at Royal Lytham, expressed pride in being selected for the 156th Open, noting that the announcement coincides with the centenary of Jones' win and the club's Royal designation. He looked forward to welcoming the sport's elite and a global audience to England's coastal links.
The R&A's decision to move the Open back to August in 2028 also serves a practical purpose: it avoids a clash with the Los Angeles Olympic Games, ensuring that the championship retains its premier status on the sporting calendar. Recent Open history provides context for the upcoming schedule. Scottie Scheffler claimed his fourth major and first Claret Jug at the 153rd Open on Royal Portrush in 2025. The 2024 Open will be staged at Royal Birkdale from July 16‑19, while Lytham will concurrently host the AIG Women's Open from July 29‑August 2, both events televised on Sky Sports.
President Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to see Turnberry return to the Open rota. He purchased the resort in April 2014 and has reportedly lobbied Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for inclusion.
Turnberry's Ailsa Course has hosted the Open four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink won, drawing roughly 120,000 spectators across the four rounds. Despite its reputation as one of the premier courses in the British Isles, the R&A remains concerned that the remote location would shift focus away from the competition itself toward political and logistical distractions. In a 2021 statement, the organization warned that the emphasis could end up on the U.S. President rather than the players or the course.
The same year, the PGA of America stripped Trump National Golf Club Bedminster of its right to host the 2022 PGA Championship, underscoring the sensitivity surrounding Trump‑owned venues. In 2025, Eric Trump met with R&A officials and the dialogue was described as constructive, yet the core issue—addressing the infrastructure shortfalls—remained unresolved.
Darbon reiterated that while he would "love" to see Turnberry back on the schedule, the venue must first overcome significant road, rail and lodging constraints. The British government has also been briefed on the matter. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office confirmed that officials had reached out to the R&A to advocate for Turnberry in 2028, but the governing body stressed that venue decisions are independent of government influence.
Ticket demand for recent Opens has been extraordinary. Over one million applications were received for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, and the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush set an attendance record with 278,000 spectators across four days—the highest figure outside of St Andrews.
While Turnberry's future as an Open venue remains uncertain, the PGA Tour will continue to feature Trump‑owned courses elsewhere. This week the tour heads 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, the R&A has confirmed Royal Lytham & St Annes as the host for the 2028 Open, pushing Turnberry further down the priority list until its logistical and financial hurdles can be convincingly addressed. The decision reflects a broader commitment to preserving the integrity of the championship, ensuring that the focus stays squarely on the sport, the competitors, and the historic links that define golf's most prestigious tournament.