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 selected to host the 156th Open in 2028. The 2024 edition of the championship will be staged at Royal Birkdale, and the historic links at St Andrews are slated to welcome the tournament in 2027. Turnberry, which has long campaigned for a place on the Open rota, remains off the schedule for the foreseeable future. The club’s owners and the R&A have identified a series of logistical and financial hurdles that must be resolved before the course could be considered again.
Current R&A Chief Executive Mark Darbon explained to Sky Sports that the sheer scale of a modern Open – from road and rail access to accommodation capacity – presents a "logistical challenge" for Turnberry, which sits on a relatively remote stretch of the Ayrshire coast. "We have a good dialogue with the venue, we’re open‑minded and we’ll keep the conversation going," Darbon said. "But until the infrastructure issues are addressed, it’s difficult for us to commit to a future Open at Turnberry." The decision also means that Muirfield, another storied Scottish club, will not feature in the R&A’s immediate plans.
Muirfield last hosted the Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson captured the Claret Jug. The club’s exclusion is partly a legacy of its former policy of excluding women from membership.
Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers noted in 2016 that the tournament could not return until the club lifted that ban. Although Muirfield members voted in 2017 to admit female golfers, the venue has still not been reinstated on the Open rotation, despite high‑profile appeals from players such as Rory McIlroy. The R&A indicated that a return to Muirfield is unlikely before 2031, especially now that the neighbouring Renaissance Club will host the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030.
Royal Lytham & St Annes will host the 2028 Open from August 3‑6, marking the course’s first appearance since 2012, when Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug for the second time. Lytham’s roll of champions reads like a who’s‑who of golf history, including Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Sir Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval.
Darbon praised the venue, 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. This is one of golf’s most cherished and historic venues, and its return will spark huge interest among fans and celebrate the rich traditions of the 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. The club has a long and successful association with the championship, and we take great pride in our place within its 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 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 contested at Royal Birkdale from July 16‑19, while the AIG Women’s Open will be staged at Lytham from July 29‑August 2, both events broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Trump, who purchased Turnberry in April 2014, has repeatedly lobbied for the course to re‑enter the Open rota. He has reportedly approached Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with the request that the south‑Ayrshire venue be selected for a future championship.
Turnberry’s Ailsa Course has hosted the Open four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink claimed victory. The 2009 tournament attracted roughly 120,000 spectators over four days, underscoring the course’s capacity to draw large crowds when the logistics are in place.
Nevertheless, the R&A maintains that Turnberry’s remote location creates significant challenges for transportation, accommodation and overall event management. In a 2021 statement the organization warned that the focus of an Open at Turnberry could shift away from the sport itself and onto the political profile of the U.S. president who owns the property.
That concern resurfaced after the PGA of America withdrew Trump National Golf Club Bedminster’s 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 at the time.
"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. While the talks were described as constructive, the core issue—logistical viability—remained unresolved. Darbon later remarked that he would "love" to see the Open return to Turnberry, but reiterated that the infrastructure gaps must be closed first. "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," he explained. The Guardian reported in 2025 that a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office had also contacted the R&A, urging that Turnberry be considered for the 2028 Open. The R&A clarified that its venue decisions are independent of government influence, though it does maintain regular engagement with local and national authorities about infrastructure matters.
"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 new attendance record outside of St Andrews, with 278,000 spectators passing through the gates over four days. Despite the setbacks for Turnberry, the PGA Tour will travel to Trump National Doral in Miami later this week for the inaugural Cadillac Championship, the fourth Signature Event of the 2026 season, broadcast live on Sky Sports. The event highlights the continued commercial partnership between the Trump golf brand and major tour organizers, even as the R&A keeps its distance from Turnberry for the Open.
In summary, while Donald Trump’s Turnberry remains a world‑class links course with a storied Open history, the combination of remote location, infrastructure constraints and the desire to keep the championship’s focus squarely on the sport means it will stay off the Open rota for now. Royal Lytham & St Annes, with its rich heritage and proven capacity to host large‑scale events, will take centre stage in 2028, offering fans another chance to experience the drama and tradition of golf’s oldest major on England’s storied coastal links.