Future Walker Cup Sites Are Every Golfer's Bucket List Dream

Lahinch Golf Club, host of the 2026 Walker Cup, is one of the highest-ranked and most beautiful golf courses in the world. Somehow, it might not even be one of the Top 3 future Walker Cup venues.

The Walker Cup is the Ryder Cup for amateurs. There are several other differences, most notably in format (two rounds of foursomes, two rounds of singles) and where the players come from (the U.S., U.K. and Ireland, not all of Europe). But again, it’s basically the Ryder Cup played by amateurs.

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While the Ryder Cup has its own powerhouse list of courses tabbed to host future events, they aren’t in the same league as the Walker Cup.

After this year’s event at Lahinch, which is the 21st-ranked course in the world by Golf Digest, the confirmed future Walker Cup venues are as follows:

Future Walker Cup Venues

2028: Bandon Dunes Resort
2030: Prince's Golf Club
2032: Oakmont Country Club
2036: Chicago Golf Club
2040: National Golf Links of America
2044: Pine Valley Golf Club
2048: Cypress Point Club
2052: Seminole Golf Club

Bandon Dunes and Prince’s Golf Club are outstanding venues. No disrespect to them, the real heavy hitters start in 2032 and beyond.

Oakmont is synonymous with the U.S. Open. It's known as one of the hardest golf courses in the world. It’s the fifth-ranked golf course in the U.S. by Golf Digest.

Chicago Golf Club is rarely seen on a national stage, but it’s one of the most historic courses in the U.S. It was originally routed by C.B. MacDonald and redesigned by Seth Raynor, two of the preeminent golf course architects in American history. It’s ranked No. 11 in the U.S.

The next three courses, National Golf Links of America, Pine Valley, and Cyprus Point, are among the most sought-after tee times in golf. They are extremely private, ranked among the Top 10 courses in the United States, and rarely (if ever) seen on the national stage.

Pine Valley, especially, stands out. It’s universally ranked as the No. 1 golf course in the world. Legendary designers like A.W. Tillinghast, George Thomas, Harry Colt, Walter Travis, Hugh Wilson and William Flynn all played a role in shaping the sandy soil of George Crump’s course. It hasn’t been seen on the national stage since the 1985 Walker Cup. While it will also host the 2034 Curtis Cup, the crown jewel of future Walker Cup matches is Pine Valley.

There’s no putting down NGLA or Cypress Point, ranked No. 7 and 3, respectively, in the U.S. They are among the best courses in the world. Even Seminole would be No. 1 on virtually anyone’s bucket list. It’s just that none of them are Pine Valley.

This list, of course, doesn’t include the venues in the U.K. after Prince’s. The R&A hasn’t announced those locations yet. History shows us they will be special too.

The Old Course at St Andrews, Royal Liverpool GC and Royal Lytham & St Annes hosted the previous three Walker Cups played overseas. Those are, for anyone who knows golf, three of the most historic and respected courses in championship golf history. Royal County Down, which rivals Pine Valley, hosted the Walker Cup in 2007. Those future U.K. courses won’t disappoint.

For those wondering the reason these courses can host the Walker Cups but not pro events is they're not long enough for the bigger hitters in a stroke play format. But in match play, where total score to par doesn't matter, they're perfect venues. They're strategic, visually stunning, and present unique challenges tee-to-green. These aren't grip-it-and-rip-it venues. You have to think your way around these courses.

Yes, it’s a good time to be born right now in the U.S. or U.K. and evolve into an elite amateur golfer. Even if you only play in one Walker Cup, the odds are you’ll play at one of the most prestigious courses in the world. If you play in two, now you’re just being greedy.

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