Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf Club will not be the venue for the Open Championship in the near term, as the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club has been appointed to host the 156th Open in 2028. The 2024 Open will take place at Royal Birkdale, and the historic "Home of Golf" at St Andrews is slated to welcome the championship in 2027.
Turnberry, owned by the former U.S. president since its 2014 purchase, has long campaigned for a return to the Open rotation. Despite its reputation as one of the finest links courses in the British Isles, the R&A has indicated that a number of logistical and financial hurdles prevent the venue from being viable at present. Current R&A Chief Executive Mark Darbon explained to Sky Sports that the scale of a modern Open requires a robust road, rail and accommodation network, and that Turnberry's remote position on the Ayrshire coast makes it difficult to meet those demands.
"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." While the R&A maintains an open line of communication with the Trump organization, the statement was clear: Turnberry will not be considered for an Open until the infrastructure issues are resolved and the focus can remain on the golf itself rather than external political narratives.
Muirfield, another storied Scottish club, also remains absent from the R&A's short‑term plans. The course last hosted the Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson captured the Claret Jug.
Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers noted in 2016 that Muirfield would need to lift its ban on female members before it could be reconsidered. Although the club voted in 2017 to admit women, it has yet to re‑enter the rotation, even after Rory McIlroy publicly urged the governing body to bring it back. The nearest opportunity appears 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 turn at the championship since 2012, when Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug for a 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, 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 to these famous links 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, 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 also 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 & St Annes will also host the AIG Women's Open from July 29‑August 2, both events to be broadcast live on Sky Sports. President Trump has long expressed hope that Turnberry could re‑join the Open rota. After acquiring the resort in April 2014, he reportedly appealed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to have the venue selected. Turnberry's Ailsa Course has hosted the Open four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink claimed victory.
Over the four‑day tournament, roughly 120,000 spectators attended. However, the R&A reiterated in 2021 that the focus of an Open at Turnberry would risk being diverted toward the president rather than the sport, especially given the venue's remote location and the associated logistical costs. In 2022, the PGA of America withdrew Trump National Golf Club Bedminster's right to stage that year's PGA Championship, underscoring the broader concerns about political influence and venue suitability. The R&A's 2021 statement made it clear: "We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future.
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." A brief glimmer of optimism appeared in 2025 when Eric Trump met with R&A officials. The discussion was described as positive, but Darbon emphasized that logistical and financial viability remained the decisive factors. "I would love to see the event return to Turnberry," he said, "but 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 contacted the R&A in 2025 to request Turnberry as the 2028 host, but the governing body stressed its independence from political pressure. "We regularly engage with government and local government regarding venues," an R&A spokesperson told Sky Sports. "We have explained the logistical challenges around Turnberry to the government, and they are aware of the position." Ticket demand for upcoming Opens continues to surge.
Over one million applications were received for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, and the 2025 event at Royal Portrush set a record with 278,000 attendees across four days – the highest turnout for an Open outside St Andrews. Despite the setbacks at Turnberry, the PGA Tour will head 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. This move demonstrates that while the Open remains out of reach for Turnberry, other high‑profile tournaments continue to feature Trump‑owned courses. In summary, Royal Lytham & St Annes has secured the 2028 Open, reaffirming its historic status and providing fans with another chance to experience a classic links venue.
Turnberry, though celebrated for its scenery and past Open moments, must still overcome significant infrastructure and perception hurdles before it can re‑enter the championship rotation. The R&A's commitment to logistical excellence and to keeping the spotlight on the sport itself suggests that any future inclusion of Turnberry will depend on substantial improvements to transport, accommodation and overall event management capabilities.