Future British Open Championship Locations for 2026, 2027

The final major tournament of the year is on a rotation of nine courses.

The Claret Jug is seen during the first round of The 153rd Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Portrush. / Mike Frey-Imagn Images

The final golf major tournament of the year, the 153rd British Open, begins this week on Thursday, July 17. The tournament is being held at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Like other major tournaments, excluding the Masters, the Open is played at a different golf course each year. However, the Open chooses each year's course based on a rotation that includes nine courses along the coasts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The current rotation includes Royal Troon, Royal Portrush, Royal Birkdale, the Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Royal St. George’s, Muirfield, Carnoustie and Royal Liverpool.

2025 British Open Course

Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland is hosting the Open just for the third time in course history. The tournament was first held there in 1951, but then took a 68-year hiatus. The course most recently held the major tournament in 2019 when Irishman Shane Lowry won.

The course was created in 1888, and has changed its name a few times since then.

Because of the successes of the 2019 Open, the tournament decided to return to the Northern Ireland course again in 2025. The course solidified itself within the rotation for the Open after the 2019 tournament.

So, where can golf fans expect to see the British Open played in the next couple years?

Future U.S. Open Locations

Year	Site	Dates
2026	Royal Birkdale (England)	July 12-19, 2026
2027	Old Course at St. Andrews (Scotland)	TBD

Unlike other major tournaments, the British Open has only released the upcoming location dates for the next two years.

2026 British Open Location

Royal Birkdale is notable to golf fans as the course has hosted the Open 10 previous times. The course was originally created in 1889, but was renovated in 1922.

Royal Birkdale first hosted the Open in 1954 as Australian Peter Thomson won his first of five Open titles there. He later won his fifth at Royal Birkdale in 1965. The course most recently held the major tournament in 2017 when Jordan Spieth won his pivotal Open title.

Out of the 10 previous times the Open has been played at Royal Birkdale, six of the winners have been repeat Open champions. Arnold Palmer won his first Open title there, while Tom Watson won his fifth title there in 1983.

2027 British Open Location

The 2027 British Open will return to the Old Course at St. Andrews, marking the 31st time the iconic golf course has hosted the event, the most times out of all the courses. "The home of golf," as it's often known, tends to host every five years.

St. Andrews first hosted the Open in 1873 when the tournament expanded outside of Prestwick for the first time. Tom Kidd won his one and only Open title that year.

The most recent year St. Andrews hosted the Open was in 2022 when Australian Cameron Smith won at 20-under. Before that, American Zach Johnson won the 2014 Open at St. Andrews. Tiger Woods notably won two of his three Open titles at St. Andrews.

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