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Has Carnoustie Golf Links hosted its last Open Championship for the forseeable future?
The historic Scottish links golf facility, encompassing three courses, including the fearsome Championship Course, has officially transferred out of ownership by the local Angus Council and into the possession of a private investment group called Carnoustie Golf Heritage and Hospitality Group Limited (CGHH), according to a report in The Scotsman newspaper and summarized in full by Golf Business News. The initial deal runs through 2033 but an extension that could run as far into the future as 2123 is also being considered.
Publicly owned since 1890 and host to eight Open Championships from 1931 to 2018 - including the famous 1999 edition where Jean Van de Velde became infamous for his final-hole collapse and playoff loss to Paul Lawrie - Carnoustie's future as host of golf's oldest major championship is uncertain as the Open rota continues to shift towards larger-footprint venues near denser population centers that can accommodate upwards of a quarter million spectators each tournament week.
The 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon on the west coast of Scotland attracted more than 258,000 fans for the week, bringing the equivalent of more than $55 million to the local economy. By contrast, Carnoustie welcomed a strong but still smaller number in 2018: 172,000 fans. Between this smaller capacity and the uncertainty surrounding Carnoustie's ownership's relationship with the R&A, there is considerable doubt about its future as part of the rota.
The two named directors of the CGHH are Johann Herberstein and Paul Lisiak. Herberstein is a founding partner of Monterone Partners LLP, a hedge fund whose website describes it as "a long-term, concentrated investor focused on Western European public equities." Lisiak is the managing partner and chief investment officer of Metropolitan Partners, which "provides debt capital to small and mid-sized non-sponsored businesses in the U.S., unconstrained by industry or financing assets," per its website.
Prior to its official purchase of Carnoustie Golf Links, CGHH purchased the Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa in 2023 and subsequently spent £3 million on upgrades to common areas including the pool facility and fitness center. Further renovations are part of the group's overall plans to bind the hotel and golf components more closely together in hopes of bringing back an Open Championship to Angus. The group has also indicated a desire to invest in improvements to the golf courses, as well as keeping green fees low for locals going forward.
Currently, only the next three Open Championship venues have been announced. The 2025 Open Championship will be held at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, the 2026 edition will take place at Royal Birkdale in England and the 2027 edition, the 155th Open Championship, will return to The Old Course at St. Andrews. Given the R&A's tendency to alternate between venues England and Scotland and now Ireland - Portrush is firmly back in the rota and there has been talk of a near-future Open Championship at Portmarnock, which would be the first in the Republic of Ireland - it would seem Carnoustie's next realistic chance to host the event would be 2029.
More golf course news and notes
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