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VOTE: What's the best Open Championship venue?


atursky

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Turnberry. I've been fortunate to play them all. Turnberry (current version) and Muirfield are by far the best designs. But the changes to Turnberry where it can now stretch to 7400+ and tees can be adjusted to fit the expected wind for the day. It's really hard but completely fair.

 

BTW, I'm no Trump supporter, but the caddies and staff absolutely love what Trump did to the place. It was a dying resort and he salvaged their jobs. As a resort it still needs a lot of improvements. There's almost nothing nearby, and the food and service are pretty bad. But the course is 5 star.

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Turnberry. I've been fortunate to play them all. Turnberry (current version) and Muirfield are by far the best designs. But the changes to Turnberry where it can now stretch to 7400+ and tees can be adjusted to fit the expected wind for the day. It's really hard but completely fair.

 

BTW, I'm no Trump supporter, but the caddies and staff absolutely love what Trump did to the place. It was a dying resort and he salvaged their jobs. As a resort it still needs a lot of improvements. There's almost nothing nearby, and the food and service are pretty bad. But the course is 5 star.

 

Great assessment, I hold no brief for Mr Trump either but everything I've seen re. his golf developments has been out of the top drawer.

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I was at the Open in '95 and will always be completely in love with the Old Course. I am also in disagreement with some here who say that less town encroachment is better. Golf courses in Scotland are the town, and the towns connection to them makes them all the more wonderful. That being said if they played the Open at the Old Course every year no one would complain.

I have played three of the Rota: Old Course, Turnberry and Muirfield my favorite being St. Andrews, but I would have rather played additional rounds at Nairn or Royal Dornoch (my favorite Scottish Course period) than Muirfield. A stuffy place where they (at least in the past) went out of their way to remind you you are a guest at their discretion.

 

'A stuffy place where they (at least in the past) went out of their way to remind you you are a guest at their discretion.'

 

Nothing like to the same extent as St Andrews at Hastings on Hudson, Baltusrol and Sleepy Hollow, from my presonal experience!

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  • 3 weeks later...

As much as I didn't want to because I knew that it would be popular opinion I just had to go for St Andrews because it has everything about it including the history. However, 2nd and most underused has to be Turnberry - to think it's only hosted 4 Open's and it has to rank highly based on the iconic moments for Tom Watson.

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Having played at Carnoustie and the Old Lady, I can't say anything but St. Andrews. The place is pure magic.

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  • 4 weeks later...

my lone round at the old course was marred with cars driving across the street that splits the 1 and 18 fairways, a carnival going on next to the first green, the criss crossing of fairways and people at the turn, the hecklers at the hotel, and finally, the long wait on 18 while many many non golfers ran over to Swillcan bridge to take their pictures, with absolutely ZERO regard for us on the tee. Obviously, that all gets removed for a major championship, but it certainly took away from what should have been one magical day on the links. Would I go back to paly it again? IN A HEARTBEAT.

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Factoring in course design, viewing enjoyment, overall test of golf, history, and whatever else you put into your criteria, what do you think is the best Open Championship venue, and why? Leave your comments in the thread below after you vote!

 

 

 

Old Course St. Andrews.

 

I've played Royal Troon, so that'd be #2 for me.

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Never played it but seen the course from the coast. Has to be Muirfield in terms of the course but I don't think it's all about the course. You just cannot beat the feeling of St. Andrews. You think of the open and you Immediately think of St. Andrews.

 

Birkdale is such an underrated golf course as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Played Old course and muirfield and watched open at carnoustie. Loved old course and everything about it, love watching the opens there. That being said muirfield felt more like a charmpionship course and carboustie definitely looked the part.

 

Nothing beats watching the open at old course but for a championship test I would say muirfield and carnoustie followed by old course from these 3

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Old Course if the wind is up.

Car’nasty is wicked hard

I voted for Muirfield, I thought it had some great holes.

Turnberry circa 2000

I know it can’t possibly hold a modern Open but I really enjoyed Prestwick

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I think it's unusual how often Muirfield gets called out for being "stuffy." Perhaps some users are projecting their expectations considering they do not often gain access to a private facility? My understanding is that Muirfield and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh golfers would most closely compare to a very exclusive private club stateside like perhaps Congressional. I do not think it is fair to compare it to Augusta National, but nonetheless, it is an exclusive membership in Scotland.

 

The fact that Muirfield allows unaccompanied guest play is the opposite of stuffy. Congressional, or any club of it's ilk in any major market in the U.S. certainly does not.

 

The few times I have been fortunate enough to play an exclusive private golf course I did so with the upmost respect for the fact that I was entering what in effect is these members' "home."

 

Maybe my opinion of Muirfield will change after I play it. But, I think it's unreasonable for players to be allowed the opportunity to visit and then complain that the atmosphere is not inviting enough for them. They are allowing you to come play the golf course, not join their club. The unaccompanied playing privileges alone are a huge improvement from the likes of even "middle tier" privates in the USA.

 

I really like going to church, just can't stand how QUIET it is. Don't these zealots have fun? Come on man, it's like fighting gravity.... or not liking the sky for being blue.

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  • 3 weeks later...

St Andrews above all others.  

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I don't think there are too many wrong answers. Carnoustie would be my instinct, but obviously Turnberry, Muirfield, and of course St. Andrews all are reasonable choices as well. I do want to throw in a shout for Troon, however. I think it's underrated. Winning scores there have typically been pretty humble, with the exception being 2016, when it produced the Stenson-Mickelson duel. If not for those two, the winning score would have been in line with course history.

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I think it depends a lot on perspective, player, tv viewer, or live viewer.

 

Just played TOC, Carnoustie, and Muirfield a couple weeks ago. I think the burn probably makes Carnoustie the hardest of the three. Muirfield is pure and has all of East Lothian to offer guests while watching the Open, the Old is probably the greatest experience for a live viewer and most appreciated by the non-golfing tv viewer. I'm sure the players were stoked on Carnoustie's new club house last year. If given the ability to compete you would have to say winning at TOC is on a different level. Although I'd have to say Muirfield was my favorite of the three.

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Hoylake or Birkdale , idk why I just like them even though there are better courses in the rotation

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