The R&A are always keen to point out that there is no such thing as an Open rota. There are 10 courses that they can choose from, with Royal Portrush returning after a break of 68 years in 2019.
As things stand there are more like nine courses that they will select from, more of which later, but we do know for sure that four former Open venues will not be part of the foreseeable Open future.
PRESTWICK (SOUTH AYRSHIRE)
Prestwick was the first of the 14 Open venues. This was because it organised (and so hosted) the first 11 Open Championships, starting in 1860.
Then the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers teamed up with Prestwick to organise the competition.
After a hiatus of a year – there was no Open in 1871 – the venue of The Open then rotated between the home courses of these three clubs until 1894 when The Open was taken to Royal St George’s.
The first Opens were played over Prestwick’s criss-crossing 3,799-yard 12-hole course which had been laid out by Old Tom Morris, the club’s first professional.
The club bought some more land and in 1892 the course was expanded to 18 holes and redesigned to avoid criss-crossing holes.
Six of the original greens remain, and three of the holes – the 2nd (Alps), 4th (Cardinal) and 5th (Sea Headrig), which now appear as holes 17, 3 and 13.
But the new Prestwick 18-hole course was still compact, and space for spectators was a problem as The Open became more popular and attracted larger galleries.
For this reason the 1925 Open was Prestwick’s last. Some shots that year had hit spectators and Bernard Darwin reported: “It was a thoroughly exciting championship but hardly a pleasant one, since there were altogether too many people. So many, indeed, that despite the unselfish and valiant efforts of the Prestwick stewards, I gravely doubt whether a championship should be played there again.”
It wasn’t. However the course has continued to host top events which attract smaller crowds, including the Amateur Championship 11 times.
Between the years of 1860 and 1925 Prestwick held The Open 24 times.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
MUSSELBURGH LINKS (EAST LOTHIAN)
This was the home course of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, and so hosted The Open every third year under the three clubs organising arrangement, from its first Open in 1874 to its sixth, and last, in 1899.
The club was one of several which shared the Musselburgh Links and so the club looked for a…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly RSS Feed…