Senior British Open Golf Courses: Where They've Played
The Senior British Open (its formal title is Senior Open Championship) is one of the five major championships of senior (over-50) men's golf. Would you like to play where senior major champions have played? Below is the list of golf courses that have hosted this championship.
First, a few notes. There is no "senior Open rota," ala the Open rota used for the Open Championship, which is also run by the R&A. The Senior British Open is played on a different golf course each year, but, unlike with the "regular" Open, there are no ground rules covering which courses are used and when.
Also, the Senior British Open has not always rotated on an annual basis. There were several points in its earlier history when it remained at the same golf course for multiple years in a row. For example, the tournament was played in Northern Ireland every year from 1995 through 2002, first at Royal Portrush and then at Royal County Down.
The Senior Open has visited many of the same links courses used in the Open rota; for example, The Old Course, Turnberry, Royal Birkdale, Carnoustie, Muirfield and Royal Lytham & St. Annes. But the Senior Open, unlike the regular Open, also occasionally gets played on non-links courses — heathland or parkland courses — such as Walton Heath and Sunningdale.
- Related article: List of Senior British Open winners
The List of Senior British Open Golf Courses
2023 — Royal Porthcawl in Porthcawl, Wales2022 — Kings Course in Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland
2021 — Sunningdale Golf Club in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England
2020 — Tournament not played
2019 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
2018 — The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland
2017 — Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Porthcawl, Wales
2016 — Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
2015 — Sunningdale Golf Club in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England
2014 — Royal Porthcawl Golf Club in Porthcawl, Wales
2013 — Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England
2012 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course) in Ayrshire, Scotland
2011 — Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, London, England
2010 — Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
2009 — Sunningdale Golf Club in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England
2008 — Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland
2007 — Muirfield in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
2006 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course) in Ayrshire, Scotland
2005 — Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Aberdeen, Scotland
2004 — Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
2003 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course) in Ayrshire, Scotland
2002 — Royal County Down in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
2001 — Royal County Down in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
2000 — Royal County Down in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
1999 — Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
1998 — Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
1997 — Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
1996 — Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
1995 — Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
1994 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
1993 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
1992 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
1991 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
1990 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course) in Ayrshire, Scotland
1989 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course) in Ayrshire, Scotland
1988 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course) in Ayrshire, Scotland
1987 — Turnberry (Ailsa Course) in Ayrshire, Scotland
Photo credit: Royal Porthcawl Golf Club greens; photo ©eswales (cc-by-sa/2.0)
