Royal Lytham Reclaims The Open: A Cathedral of Championship Golf Returns in 2028
There are golf courses that host tournaments, and then there are golf courses that become tournaments—places so intertwined with the drama of competition that you cannot separate the land from the legends who walked it. Royal Lytham & St Annes belongs firmly in the latter category, and when The Open returns there in August 2028, it will mark the 12th chapter in one of golf's most storied relationships.
A Surprising Fortress Near Blackpool
Royal Lytham breaks every rule of what a links course should be. You cannot see the sea. A railway line runs alongside the property. Red-brick Victorian houses peek over the boundary. And yet, within these confines exists one of the most demanding examinations in championship golf—a course that rewards precision over power and punishes hubris with a particular cruelty.
I've played Lytham twice, both times in conditions that reminded me why the locals seem perpetually amused by visiting golfers' optimism. The wind doesn't so much blow as interrogate, asking questions of your technique you didn't know you'd have to answer. The famous pot bunkers—deep, steep-faced, and strategically placed with almost vindictive precision—swallow anything less than perfectly struck.
What strikes you most about Lytham is its intimacy. Unlike the vast dunescape of Birkdale down the coast or the epic sweep of Turnberry's Ailsa, Lytham feels contained, almost claustrophobic. Every shot matters. Every mistake is visible. There's nowhere to hide.
The Weight of History
The Open first came to Lytham in 1926, and the winner was Bobby Jones—the legendary American amateur who would later co-found Augusta National and help create the Masters. Jones won the first of his three Claret Jugs that fortnight, and you can still feel his ghost on the property, particularly near the famous bunker on the 17th where he played one of golf's most celebrated recovery shots.
But for many of us, Lytham belongs to Seve. Ballesteros claimed two of his three Open victories here, in 1979 and 1988, playing the kind of audacious, improvisational golf that seemed to bend the course to his will. His 1979 triumph, won in part from a parking lot, remains one of the championship's most romantic narratives—a young Spaniard with film-star looks and a matador's flair conquering the English establishment.
The course hasn't hosted The Open since 2012, when Ernie Els capitalized on Adam Scott's agonizing collapse down the stretch. Sixteen years will have passed by the time the circus returns, and the R&A has required significant modernization to meet the demands of contemporary championship golf.
A Course Remodeled for the Modern Game
The most substantial change involves the par-five 11th hole. What was once a dog-leg has been transformed into a 601-yard straight hole, with numerous bushes removed to create space for a new practice facility. The course's internal road system has also been upgraded to improve access and maintenance capabilities.
These modifications will get their first major test when Lytham hosts the AIG Women's Open from 29 July to 2 August this year. It's a sensible dress rehearsal, and the R&A will be watching closely.
The Northwest's Golden Era
The 2028 announcement means the northwest coast of England will have hosted The Open three times in six years. Royal Liverpool staged the championship in 2023, Royal Birkdale welcomes the world this July, and now Lytham completes the regional hat-trick. For those of us who believe England's Lancashire coast offers links golf to rival anything in Scotland, this feels like overdue recognition.
The 2028 Open will be pushed back to 3-6 August to avoid clashing with the Los Angeles Olympics golf competitions, which run from 19-29 July. It's a minor scheduling quirk that shouldn't affect the championship's atmosphere—if anything, early August in Lancashire can deliver some of the year's most dramatic weather.
What Remains Unspoken
The announcement notably excludes both Turnberry and Muirfield from immediate consideration. Turnberry last hosted The Open in 2009, five years before Donald Trump purchased the property, and R&A chief executive Mark Darbon has acknowledged "big logistical issues" at the venue. Muirfield, which hasn't hosted since 2013, also remains in ongoing dialogue. Both courses are magnificent championship tests, and their absence from the rotation represents unfinished business for the R&A.
But that's a story for another day. For now, Royal Lytham & St Annes reclaims its place in golf's highest rotation—a course without ocean views but with a century of championship drama embedded in every fairway.
The Takeaway
Royal Lytham's return to The Open rotation in 2028 celebrates one of golf's most demanding and historically significant venues. With course modifications complete and England's northwest coast enjoying an unprecedented concentration of major championships, Lytham is ready to add another chapter to its remarkable story.