The R&A has announced the next two hosts of the AIG Women’s Open, Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2026 and Royal St. George’s in 2027. What courses should host after that? I give my picks on what the future of the AIG Women’s Open should look like. As a note, I will only be using courses that have hosted this event in the past, with one major exception.
2028 – Kingsbarns – Kingsbarns is one of the highest rated courses in Scotland not on the Open rota that I think could become a staple of this event. This course plays on the water more directly than many of the links hosts do and offers some dramatic shots and scenery. Kingsbarns hosted the Women’s Open in 2017 where IK Kim was the champion.
2029 – Royal Portrush – The AIG Women’s Open has now made its debut in Wales, it is time for it to truly capture the totality of golf in the UK by going to Northern Ireland. Portrush has been a massive success over its last two Open Championships and I see no reason it wouldn’t host the Women’s Open as well.
2030 – The Old Course – Like the Open Championship, the Women’s Open should travel back to the home of golf every five or six years. The Old Course is the greatest and most iconic course in the world, and it has been great to see it host three Women’s Open titles since 2007. That pace should continue moving forward, as it gave us a really exciting leaderboard and finish in 2024.
2031 – Woburn Golf Club – The thing that really makes the Women’s Open shine in comparison to the Open Championship is its willingness to play the full breath of golf instead of just the links layouts. Between two on property courses, Woburn has hosted more Women’s Opens than any other course with nine. Just because the Women’s Open is traveling to more Open rota courses now, doesn’t mean it should lose sight of its roots.
2032 – Royal Porthcawl – After the 2025 Women’s Open, I could see this being a frequent venue for the championship to revisit. The course is stunning and has one of the most exciting and unique finishing stretches in major championship golf. While the Open Championship probably isn’t heading to Wales anytime soon, I think it would be great for the LPGA to really establish itself in the area.
