Open going back to Portrush

[MarkT]

As predicted the 2025 Open is heading back to Royal Portrush which means the next few years look like this..

2022: St Andrews
2023: Royal Liverpool
2024: Royal Troon
2025: Royal Portrush

Which also means that Lytham hasn't held one since 2012, Muirfield 2013 and Turnberry 2009. So, arguably, definitely two, maybe three of the best courses not part of things for the next few years...

Martin Slumbers speaking last year...

“Infrastructure is one of the key issues we need to solve at Turnberry. I am sure it will stage an Open there in the not-too-distant future.”

 

[Crow]

I've heard him called many things but never Infrastructure.

 

[evemccc]

As predicted the 2025 Open is heading back to Royal Portrush which means the next few years look like this..

2022: St Andrews
2023: Royal Liverpool
2024: Royal Troon
2025: Royal Portrush

Which also means that Lytham hasn't held one since 2012, Muirfield 2013 and Turnberry 2009. So, arguably, definitely two, maybe three of the best courses not part of things for the next few years...

Martin Slumbers speaking last year...

“Infrastructure is one of the key issues we need to solve at Turnberry. I am sure it will stage an Open there in the not-too-distant future.”

Lytham and Muirfield are two of the courses I would MOST like to see the Open.

Troon and Hoylake two of the courses I would least like to see (all choices of course being generally excellent)

 

[evemccc]

2022: St Andrews
2023: Royal Liverpool
2024: Royal Troon
2025: Royal Portrush

”

I bet the next venues are Birkdale, St Andrews, and Carnoustie again

 

[MarkT]

Always think Muirfield is the best Open, favourite course, great winners..

 

[MarkT]

I bet the next venues are Birkdale, St Andrews, and Carnoustie again

St Andrews probably 2027 to go back to the five-year cycle, hopefully Lytham in 2026 which will be the centenary of Bobby Jones winning there

 

[Ethan]

Portrush could be one of the best venues. Great course, great fans and great weather. OK, one of those may not be entirely true.

IMHO, The Open should not go to Turnberry while it is owned by Trump. That would be a grotesque spectacle and the R&A knows it.

 

[sunshine]

Always think Muirfield is the best Open, favourite course, great winners..

Muirfield was on the naughty step for a few years, so they have to go to the back of the queue and wait their turn now.

 

[GB72]

Muirfield was on the naughty step for a few years, so they have to go to the back of the queue and wait their turn now.

With so may venues and the media furore over their previous admissions policy, I think that they may be hard pushed to get on the list again.

 

[brendy]

Hopefully Portrush gets its act together with more hotels etc but a great decision imo.

 

[sunshine]

St Andrews probably 2027 to go back to the five-year cycle, hopefully Lytham in 2026 which will be the centenary of Bobby Jones winning there

I think they will go back to the cycle of TOC hosting the Open in years ending in 0 and 5, and 2022 is just an exception.

 

[sunshine]

It's all speculation, I'm going to have a go at guessing cos I'm sad and it's fun.

 

[MarkT]

Nothing sad about this, I lie there at night wondering about these things. I don't. Someone told me a couple of years ago that they were going to make a concerted effort to include Porthcawl. Don't suppose that's going to happen, not sure how it could logistically. On your list you've got eight years between St Andrews Opens which is about right #IMHO but unlikely maybe given the crowds, money, course, R&A, blah blah

 

[IanM]

Nothing sad about this, I lie there at night wondering about these things. I don't. Someone told me a couple of years ago that they were going to make a concerted effort to include Porthcawl. Don't suppose that's going to happen, not sure how it could logistically. On your list you've got eight years between St Andrews Opens which is about right #IMHO but unlikely maybe given the crowds, money, course, R&A, blah blah

Well, the R&A have visited Porthcawl several times... on their recommendation lots of the gorse has been removed to accommodate stands and people walking. Its less remote than Fife or Antrim. 0ver 2 people million in Wales live "south of the M4" and over a million people holiday in Wales every year. Its had two recent Senior Opens and the players loved it. Special trains can laid on from Bridgend (6 miles) or Pyle (3 miles) and folk can be bussed in from there or Cardiff and all round. Plenty of open fields for "park and ride" too.

So, other than the Scots wanting it in Scotland and Londoners not knowing where Wales is, what's the problem?

 

[davidy233]

On your list you've got eight years between St Andrews Opens which is about right #IMHO but unlikely maybe given the crowds, money, course, R&A, blah blah

St Andrews every five years is a given

 

[Lord Tyrion]

St Andrews every five years is a given

If the weather is benign next year and the pro's smash it again do you think it will still be a given?

 

[IanM]

If the weather is benign next year and the pro's smash it again do you think it will still be a given?

Yes. It is St Andrews. The weather is the weather (good or bad) and the lowest score wins. Par is not mentioned, just the total of strokes.

 

[davidy233]

If the weather is benign next year and the pro's smash it again do you think it will still be a given?

100% - as IanM has said above - It's St Andrews

 

[Deleted member 15344]

If the weather is benign next year and the pro's smash it again do you think it will still be a given?

Yes- Faldo went round in 18 under in 1990 and it’s still every 5 years

Nothing sad about this, I lie there at night wondering about these things. I don't. Someone told me a couple of years ago that they were going to make a concerted effort to include Porthcawl. Don't suppose that's going to happen, not sure how it could logistically. On your list you've got eight years between St Andrews Opens which is about right #IMHO but unlikely maybe given the crowds, money, course, R&A, blah blah

The R&A have got Porthcawl to do a lot of work so I can see it there soon enough and rightly so

Logistics and infrastructure aren’t going to stop it when you look at RSG being able to host it

 

[Liverbirdie]

Hopefully Portrush gets its act together with more hotels etc but a great decision imo.

I stayed there for a week in late July, you can see money starting to get spent on it, even of people investing in individual houses etc or doing them up. A second open will only accelerate this.

Royal Portrush definitely derserves another open.