Royal Birkdale’s natural dunes and disciplined routing have made it one of The Open’s defining venues. The 2026 Championship added a new chapter: Ryan Fox won at ten under par, while recent course changes reshaped the par-three 15th and key championship holes.
Founded in 1887, Royal St George’s became the first course outside Scotland to host The Open in 1894. Its uneven dune ground, deep bunkers and distinctive holes—including the Himalaya bunker and Roadside finish—make it one of England’s most individual links.
Opened in 1919, Gleneagles’ King’s Course is a James Braid design that uses rugged Perthshire terrain, heather-covered slopes and deep natural features to create a classic inland test. Its evocative Scots hole names and strategic 13th, Braid’s Brawest, are central to its identity.
Founded in 1891, Royal Porthcawl is a rare championship links where the sea remains visible from every hole. The course’s open coastal slope, shifting wind and evolved routing create a strategic test with a different feel from dune-heavy links.
Lahinch’s Old Course grew from Old Tom Morris’s 1894 routing and was reshaped by Alister MacKenzie in 1927. Its famous Klondyke and Dell holes, shifting dunes and Atlantic exposure make it one of Ireland’s most distinctive links tests.
Ballybunion’s Old Course grew from a natural links laid out in the 1890s and refined over decades by the club and leading architects. Its rolling dunes, blind approaches and Atlantic exposure make it one of Ireland’s defining links experiences.
Opened in 1997 on a 220-acre headland near Kinsale, Old Head Golf Links sets nine holes along towering Atlantic cliffs. Its collaborative design team shaped an 18-hole, par-72 course where sea breeze, exposure and cliff-edge targets define the round.
Reconstructed by Tom Fazio in 2016–2018, Adare Manor’s par-72 course runs beside the River Maigue with 41 bunkers, elevated greens and finely conditioned turf. It will host the centenary Ryder Cup in September 2027.
Opened as Las Aves in 1974 and reshaped under Robert Trent Jones Sr., Valderrama is a demanding par-71 course threaded through mature cork oaks. Its 1997 Ryder Cup was the first staged in continental Europe, and the club continues to welcome a limited number of visitors.
Cabell B. Robinson’s 18-hole course at Finca Cortesin combines generous corridors, olive trees and exacting green complexes above the Mediterranean. Its 2023 Solheim Cup ended in the first tie in the event’s history, adding a distinctive chapter to the club’s tournament record.
