Why has the British Open never been held in Wales? Real reason explored

The British Open 2023 is currently underway at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England. The event entered its final day on Sunday. The event has gone smoothly so far, despite heavy rainfall and windy conditions. Since the tournament began, many fans at Hoylake have spent hours under umbrellas.

Despite the questionable weather conditions, England hosts the British Open every year. However, one country that never hosted the major is Wales. The Royal Liverpool is close to the Welsh coast, with a handful of long tee shots across the estuary, but the event has never gone across to the other side.

According to the R&A, the British Open’s organizer, Wales’s exclusion from the event’s venues is due to a lack of infrastructure and capability.

In order to host the major, the venue must be able to temporarily raise a guarded, hospitality-filled and championship-caliber coastal enclave for thousands of people for a week. According to The New York Times, the R&A are not sure that Wales will be able to do the same. However, Welsh officials think otherwise.

Speaking from Royal Liverpool on Friday, Welsh Parliament member Ken Skates said, as quoted by The New York Times:

“Not all parts of the U.K. are being touched by the Open, and leaving an entire nation out of it doesn’t ring true to that mantra of golf being open to all… It’s a little frustrating.”

It is pertinent to note that the R&A’s roster of Open-eligible courses is limited to nine. This includes Scottish as well as English courses. The fourth and final major of the year, being held at Royal Liverpool, is set to travel to Royal Troon in Scotland next year. The Open 2025 will be hosted at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland before it returns to England’s Royal Birkdale for the 2026 edition.

The R&A officials, who keep an eye out for new/old venues for events are now being forced to consider Welsh courses. With Welsh leaders signaling a willingness to pursue public investments in exchange for the Open going to Royal Porthcawl, it’ll be interesting to see if the officials consider it in the coming years.

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Royal Liverpool Golf Club: Venue for The British Open 2023

The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, hosting The British Open 2023, was founded in 1869. The Merseyside club gained the prestigious 'Royal' name in 1871 as an appreciation for its reputation and the patronage of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, one of Queen Victoria's sons.

A links course in design, the Royal Liverpool has changed its layout on a regular basis over the years to accommodate developments in the sport and its equipment. The historic course celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2019, marking it one of the longest-standing courses.