All 14 Open Championship Venues — Can You Play Them?
10 courses on the current rota, 4 from the history books. Green fees, access restrictions, and ranked cheapest to most expensive.
The Open Championship rota represents golf's most exclusive postcode list. These are not just great courses — they are the test pieces against which the game's greatest players are measured, year after year, across more than 150 years.
Most of them can be played. Some require planning, ballots, or connections. One requires staying in a luxury hotel. One costs £15 for nine holes inside a horse racing track and is the oldest golf course in the world. The range is remarkable.
Below is the complete picture — 10 current rota courses and 4 historical venues, ranked cheapest to most expensive, with honest notes on how easy (or not) it is to actually get on.
Ranked cheapest to most expensive
Historical venues marked with †. Fees shown are peak weekday rates.
Musselburgh Old Links
The oldest golf course in the world (Guinness World Record — documented since 1672, possibly played by Mary Queen of Scots in 1567). Nine holes laid inside Musselburgh Racecourse, and the track genuinely interferes with play — you tee off across the racing surface on some holes. Six Opens were held here between 1874 and 1889, when the championship rotated between Musselburgh, Prestwick and St Andrews.
Its downfall was structural and inevitable. The course couldn't be expanded beyond nine holes — permanently enclosed by the racecourse on all sides. As The Open grew in prestige and crowds, Musselburgh ran out of space. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, who had called this home since 1836, left for a new Tom Morris-designed 18-hole course at Gullane in 1891 — a course called Muirfield. The Open followed, and Musselburgh was never asked back. What remains is a nine-hole public course. No handicap required, open nearly all year (closed on race days). You can hire hickory clubs. It is not the greatest golf course in the world — it is, by some margin, the most historically significant thing you can do on a golf course for £25.50.
Princes Golf Club →
Hosted the Open just once — 1932, won by Gene Sarazen. An underrated 27-hole links sitting next to Royal St George's. Much more accessible and considerably cheaper than its famous neighbour. Also a regular Open regional qualifying venue.
Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) →
Hosted the Open in 1909 and 1920, then dropped. Flooding concerns and limited infrastructure ended its rota status — even today the course can be inaccessible in exceptional tides. Worth the effort: classic Kent links, genuinely challenging, and less crowded than its more famous neighbours.
St Andrews (Old Course) →
The home of golf. Peak fee £355 (Apr 20–Oct 18), shoulder season £128 from mats. The ballot is free to enter but you need to accept any slot offered or lose your place. Six courses on site if you miss out.
Carnoustie (Championship) →
The most visitor-friendly of the Scottish Open venues. Three courses on site — Championship (£360), Burnside and Buddon (both £135). No ballot, just book online.
Prestwick Golf Club →
The birthplace of The Open. Held here 24 times — more than anywhere else — before being dropped in 1925 because the course couldn't handle the crowds. Hemmed in by housing and a railway line, it hasn't changed much since. The off-season rate (£170, Oct–Apr, Mon–Thu) is one of the great bargains in golf for the history alone.
Muirfield →
Two playing days a week, no exceptions. The ballot must be entered well in advance. Rising to £420 per round in 2027. Home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers — the oldest golf club in the world.
Royal Troon (Old Course) →
Package includes round on both Old and Portland courses. Includes lunch and limited locker room access. No single-course bookings — you play both. Also home to the famous Postage Stamp (8th), the shortest hole in Open Championship history.
Royal Lytham & St Annes →
Unusually for an Open venue, there's no hole that faces the sea — the course is surrounded by houses. Mon–Fri peak £400. Winter rates: £245 in March, £280 in October. Max handicap 21 (men), 30 (ladies). Book 7 days in advance.
Royal St George's →
The only regular Open venue in the south of England. Two visiting days per week, lunch included in the fee. Famous for the 4th hole (nearly 500 yards), the Suez Canal bunker and the dunes. Handicap index ≤18.4 required.
Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) →
Visitors are treated as members for the day. The Tuesday peak package includes golf and lunch (£450). Where Tiger Woods famously won the 2006 Open without once using a driver. Memorable rather than fearsome.
Royal Portrush (Dunluce) →
Northern Ireland's only Open venue. Specific visitor slots each day: check the club's timetable before booking. Sat visitors after 3pm only. Valley Course also available (lower fee). Arguably the most spectacular setting on the rota.
Royal Birkdale →
The most expensive course on the current rota. Closed Jan, Feb, Nov and Dec each year. In 2026, the course closes Jun 22–Jul 26 for the 154th Open Championship — so if you want to play it this year, go before then. Peak fee £495; off-peak (Mar–Apr) £450.
Trump Turnberry (Ailsa) →
The most expensive course in GB&I. Not currently on the confirmed Open rota due to political complications around Donald Trump's ownership. The Ailsa Course is spectacular — the 9th tee sits above the Firth of Clyde with views of Ailsa Craig. The hotel brings the experience closer to £1,500 a night.
Full table
| Course | Status | Peak fee | Visitor days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musselburgh Old Links | † Historical | £25.50 Mon–Fri / £28 Sat–Sun (9 holes) | Open to all — no handicap required |
| Princes Golf Club | † Historical | £180 | Open all week |
| Royal Cinque Ports (Deal) | † Historical | £285 | Mon–Thu only |
| St Andrews (Old Course) | Current rota | £355 | Ballot system — enter free via St Andrews Links website |
| Carnoustie (Championship) | Current rota | £360 | Open all week |
| Prestwick Golf Club | † Historical | £170 Oct–Apr (Mon–Thu) / £380 May–Sep | Open most days |
| Muirfield | Current rota | £395 | Visitors on Tuesday and Thursday only |
| Royal Troon (Old Course) | Current rota | £395 | Visitors Monday, Tuesday and Thursday only |
| Royal Lytham & St Annes | Current rota | £400 | Monday to Friday only |
| Royal St George's | Current rota | £400 | Tuesday and Wednesday only (August: Tuesday only) |
| Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) | Current rota | £400 | Monday, Tuesday and Friday only |
| Royal Portrush (Dunluce) | Current rota | £420 | Complex tee time windows each day — varies by day of week |
| Royal Birkdale | Current rota | £495 | Mon, Wed, Thu only |
| Trump Turnberry (Ailsa) | Current rota | £1000 | Open all week |
The value plays: Musselburgh Old Links at £25.50 for 9 holes is the world's oldest golf course inside a horse racing track — extraordinary history for almost nothing. Prestwick in October is £170 for a round at the birthplace of The Open. For context, that's £830 cheaper than Turnberry on the same day. The course is quirky, blind, and completely unlike anything modern golf produces — which is exactly the point.