CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - JULY 22: Francesco Molinari of Italy putts for birdie on the 18th green during the final round of the Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Club on July 22, 2018 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

R&A via Getty Images

The Open Championship is set to return to one of golf’s most demanding venues. The R&A announced on November 9 that The Open Championship will return to Carnoustie Golf Links in 2029, set to be played from July 15 through July 22, 2029. The announcement is set to bring The Open back to the Championship Course at Carnoustie in Angus, Scotland for the first time in over a decade.

The Open Championship in 2029 will mark the ninth time Carnoustie has hosted, having previously welcomed the championship in 1931, 1937, 1953, 1968, 1975, 1999, 2007, and 2018. Francesco Molinari was the most recent Champion Golfer of the Year crowned at Carnoustie, his first and only major championship and the first Italian golfer to win a men’s major.

Carnoustie is widely regarded as one of golf’s toughest tests, especially in the Open rota. With a plethora of demanding holes, especially the closing stretch of 16 through 18, strategic bunkers, and the ever-present Barry Burn which snakes through Carnoustie Golf Links, Carnoustie has a well-earned reputation.

Said Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, “Carnoustie is a world-class championship venue where some of golf’s greatest players have lifted the Claret Jug and the return of The Open to these famous links after more than a decade will give fans the opportunity to be part of another memorable chapter in the Championship’s history." "We are grateful to Carnoustie’s ownership and management, the Scottish Government and local authorities for their support in bringing The Open back to Angus and look forward to another memorable Championship in 2029.”

Carnoustie’s Open Championship History

Carnoustie has hosted The Open Championship dating back to 1931, nearly a century. That first edition was won by Tommy Armour, which established the beginning of a distinguished list of champions.

In his only appearance in The Open, Ben Hogan captured the Claret Jug in 1953 at Carnoustie. Hogan birdied the par-five 6th hole in his final round after driving his ball down the narrow fairway between the out-of-bounds fence on the left and fairway bunkers on the right, a strip of land now known as Hogan’s Alley.

Carnoustie has also seen it’s fair share of dramatic finishes. None may be more recognizable than that of Jean van de Velde in 1999, who arrived on the tee box of the 18th hole in the final round with a three-shot lead. After hitting his tee shot into the deep right-hand rough, van de Velde attempted to go for the green instead of pitching back out into the fairway. His shot hit a grandstand railing and came to rest in tall rough. Again, van de Velde attempted to play his next shot to the green, which ended up in the burn in front of the green.

Van de Velde eventually elected to take a drop from the burn instead of attempting to play from the water. His next shot after the drop ended up in the green side bunker, where he got up-and-down for a 7. The triple-bogey kept him in the tournament, resulting in a playoff with Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard that Lawrie eventually won.

Only eight years later the Barry Burn again played a role in determining the Champion Golfer of the Year. In 2007, Padraig Harrington found the water twice on the 18th hole during his final round. Harrington recovered to force a playoff against Sergio Garcia and eventually defeated Garcia to raise his first Claret Jug.

Carnoustie’s Tough Test

Carnoustie holds a reputation of one of the most challenging venues in championship golf. The Championship Course at Carnoustie is a traditional links layout with firm playing surfaces, unpredictable coastal conditions, and strategically placed hazards.

Deep and strategic bunkers can punish errant tee shots and approaches, and the Barry Burn winds throughout the course. Changing wind directions and intensities can affect ball trajectories significantly.

This results in a premium having to be placed on accuracy and course management. Carnoustie rewards patience and precision, and avoiding mistakes.

Carnoustie’s Future as a Venue

The announcement reflects Carnoustie’s broader ambitions to remain a regular fixture in the Open Championship rota. The venue has been investing in its facilities and wider visitor experience to continue to accommodate the modern demands of hosting a major championship tournament.

According to Ross Blackadder, Chief Operating Officer at Carnoustie Golf Links, “Carnoustie is already associated with some of The Open’s most iconic moments and we can’t wait to enhance this legacy further when the world’s best take on Golf’s Greatest Test again in 2029. Our investment in the course, facilities and wider visitor experience reflects our ambition to continue securing the Championship on a regular basis, ensuring its legacy benefits Carnoustie and the wider region for generations to come.”

Unlike the USGA, which has announced championship venues for the US Open many years into the future, the R&A has taken a different approach. Only the next three sites for The Open have been announced. Those are The Old Course at St. Andrews in 2027, Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2028, and now Carnoustie in 2029.

This sequence of host sites offer three distinctly different links venues, all with deep historical roots. However, Carnoustie brings back a reputation of a demanding and challenging layout that is sure to crown a worthy champion in 2029.