The oldest of the four Major Championships, The Open, will celebrate its 150th edition when play gets underway at St Andrews on July 14.
First played in 1860 at Prestwick, then a 12 hole layout, with just eight players, the tournament has gone on to become arguably the most prestigious tournament in the world of golf thanks to the grandeur of the Claret Jug, the challenge of battling the links style courses and the Who’s Who of greats that have etched their name into tournament folklore.
Of the 149 stagings of the Championship, it has been held 96 times in Scotland, 51 times in England and twice in Northern Ireland with 14 different courses playing host, seven in Scotland, six in England and one in Northern Ireland, with the Championship visiting each course roughly once every ten years, except for St Andrews, which now hosts it every fifth year.
Tradition dictated that from 1860 until 1921, The Open would always be played on a links, or seaside style of course, but this was later sanctified into the Championship rules in 1922 when the Committee declared that, “The Open shall henceforth be played only on links courses, to provide a true test for the skilled players.” Here, we take a look at all 14 venues that have hosted golf’s original Major and look back at some of the most memorable and magic moments.
