The Open Championship tees off today. The world’s best players will be at the Royal Lytham & St Annes golf club near Blackpool, England vying for the famous Claret Jug in this, the 141st edition of the event.
The venue for the oldest golf tournament in existence rotates between some of the finest links courses in Scotland and England.
Not many golfers are aware, but all nine Open venues actively in rotation welcome visiting players. Well, as long as they’re willing to stump up the hefty green fee (and in some cases provide certification of a handicap below 18). Here’s our pick of the bunch
St Andrews – The Old Course
- Green fee: £150 (around $233)
- Last hosted an Open: 2010
- Next hosting an Open: 2015
They say golf has been played at St Andrews for well over a thousand years. Little wonder it’s referred to as the home of the game. Its double fairways, double greens, natural bunkering and Swilcan Bridge are enshrined in golfing lore. As are its Open winners – Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Bobby Jones have all raised the Claret Jug here.
Carnoustie – Championship Course
- Green fee: £140 (around $218)
- Last hosted an Open: 2007
- Next hosting an Open: Unscheduled
Sir Michael Bonallack, one of golf’s great amateur players, once said of Carnoustie, “When the wind is blowing, it is the toughest golf course in Britain. And when it’s not blowing, it’s probably still the toughest.” What more could you want to know? Oh, how about, at 7,421 yards, it’s the longest of Open venues.
- Green fee: £210 (around $326) and £180 weekday (around $280)
- Last hosted an Open: 2008
- Next hosting an Open: Unscheduled
Royal Birkdale sits on a stretch of beautiful linksland which runs almost uninterrupted for 20 miles north of Liverpool. With nine championships, it’s been the most regular venue other than St Andrews in the post-war era.
Muirfield
- Green fee: £195 (around $303)
- Last hosted an Open: 2002
- Next hosting an Open: 2013
Muirfield is the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, and the source of the earliest written rules of golf, which date back to 1744. But the history isn’t the only draw. The course is considered the fairest test of all Open venues.
- Green fee: £199 (around $309) and £180 weekday (around $280)
- Last hosted an Open: 2009
- Next hosting an Open: Unscheduled
Turnberry’s stunning cliff-top locations has to make it one of the most scenic courses in the world. Golfing aficionados will remember it as the setting for one of most famous showcases in the game’s history – Jack Nicklaus’ and Tom Watson’s ‘Duel in the Sun’ in 1977.
NB: All green fees are per adult round during high season. Fees are reduced substantially during winter.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: loochie)
