FOCUS
When might Carnoustie host the Open Championship again?
Golf has been played in this small Angus town since 1842. It is an eight-time Open venue but the most recent was in 2018 – with no imminent sign of another. We delve into the complexities surrounding ownership, the local council and the investment required to maintain its status as a major venue
AMONG the many things that are the subject of intense discussion in the game of golf is the – unofficial – Open Championship rota.
We currently know the venues through to 2027, with Royal Birkdale and the Old Course at St Andrews filling the schedule for the next two summers. Given it is rare – though not unheard of – for the Open to be played in Scotland in successive years, the shortest possible time that Carnoustie could wait for its next opportunity is therefore over a decade.
The Angus venue is at the centre of this discussion as, theoretically, it should be near the front of the queue as future venues are named to host the Open, along with Muirfield which was last used in 2013, Royal Lytham & St Annes (2012) and, of course, Trump Turnberry (2009).
Carnoustie held The Open in 1975, but then not again until 1999. The town’s infrastructure and lack of hotels was a factor. John Calder, of Dalhousie Golf Club, persuaded Angus Council to give up control of the links and hand it to a committee, which he chaired.
With the help of greenkeeper John Philip and after hosting the 1995 Scottish Open, The R&A were convinced, and The Open came back some 24 years after Tom Watson won here.
Around 180,000 fans visited golf’s oldest major seven years ago, which represented a significant increase from the estimated 130,000 to 140,000 who went in 2007. Carnoustie is the Open venue that is furthest north and somewhat removed from Edinburgh and Glasgow than other Scottish host venues.
Since Francesco Molinari hoisted the Claret Jug on the famed 18th hole in 2018, there have been several movements in ownership, which have led to increased speculation.
Before 2025, the three Carnoustie golf courses - the Championship, the Burnside and the Buddon - had been owned by Angus Council, with the Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee (CGLMC) contracted to operate them.
Carnoustie in Numbers
HOST
Carnoustie has hosted eight Open Championships and two Women’s Opens
1560
Earliest year that golf is thought to have been played in Angus
1839
When Carnoustie Golf Club was formed
1931
Hosted The Open Championship for the first time
The Money in Sport newsletter reported that Carnoustie had an income of £11.3 million in 2024, of which 61 per cent was course income and 31 per cent was merchandise and the restaurant. In 2025, it cost £321 to play on the Championship Course in the summer.
In a consultation document from December 2024 that dived into The Open and Carnoustie, one part read:
“Discussions with the R&A – these began soon after the 2018 Open Championship and have continued since then to try to ensure that Carnoustie is well placed to be selected as a host once again. Discussions have focused on the need for improvement in the hotel and other facilities and have included CGLMC and their investors.
“As was outlined in the consultation document, hosting The Open is much more than about the golf course and requires a full range of facilities which are of a sufficient standard for modern golf championships.”
In an interview with The Courier in 2024, former Carnoustie Golf Links chief executive Michael Wells emphasised the importance of The Open to Carnoustie’s future.
“If Carnoustie doesn’t secure its future as an Open Championship venue, it will very slowly, over a period of time, start to lose visitors and income,” he said.
“And it reaches a tipping point where it becomes unsustainable to employ as many staff as we do.
“Then we’d start to see a gradual erosion in the amount of investment we can make in the golf courses.”
There was a campaign from the CGLMC to attract investment worth £100 million, which is important to the venue’s hopes of hosting The Open, but, in late 2023, the hotel was sold to an investor group – the Carnoustie Golf Heritage and Hospitality Group Limited (CGHH).
Angus Council agreed to pass over ownership of the golf courses to CGHH in a deal lasting to 2033, so they were no longer operated by the CGLMC. This deal could eventually extend across the next century. This was a hugely significant development in the history of a site that had been publicly owned since the 19th century.
CGHH has two directors according to Companies House – Paul Lisiak and Johann Herberstein.
While a shift to private ownership might feel alien to local golfers and the 2,400 season ticket holders that play at the historic venue, the door now appears to be open to the investment that is needed for Carnoustie to keep its place on the rota.
According to recent figures reported by Money in Sport, the investor group has pumped £23m of new capital into CGHH, which paid £9.7m for the trade and assets of the Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa in September 2023.
When Michael Wells and Adair Simpson respectively resigned their roles as chief executive and deputy chief executive at Carnoustie Golf Links in July 2025 to pursue their own business, moves that came into effect on September 1, CGHH released the following statement:
“We wish them both every success in their future endeavours. We have a strong and experienced management team in place to deliver on our existing strategic objectives.
“These are focussing on preserving access for local golfers at a fair price for the long-term, advancing the integration of the golf and hotel business and finalising a long-term lease arrangement for the golf courses to ensure future sustainability and growth.
“Central to our long-term plans is securing the return of The Open Championship to Carnoustie and positioning this iconic venue as a truly world-leading golf and tourism destination.”
“Carnoustie is a very important venue for The Open, and when they approached us with their plans for a new structure and additional investment, we were supportive and remain so as the plans continue to progress”
There appears to be full commitment to the championship returning to one of the best tournament golf courses in the world. The R&A could look upon Carnoustie more favourably now, given there is more operational clarity than there once was.
An R&A spokesperson said: “Carnoustie is a very important venue for The Open, and when they approached us with their plans for a new structure and additional investment, we were supportive and remain so as the plans continue to progress.
“We welcome venues taking the initiative to improve and develop as Carnoustie has done and are working collaboratively with them to help ensure their plans support the staging of The Open as well. We look forward to returning there in due course.”
Another issue that needed attention in the ownership changeover was the plight of local golfers.
A Golf Access Rights Agreement was part of the deal between Angus Council and CGHH, which meant CGHH has the right to set visitor green fees and tee time access would operate as normal for season ticket holders.
It also stated that season ticket prices that weren’t in line with inflation according to the Consumer Prices Index must be approved by the council.
Commenting on the agreement, Angus Council Finance Director Ian Lorimer said: “One of the main objectives is to ensure that the golf courses are available for local people at a reasonable cost.”