Which Open Championship venue is the hardest? Measured by the most honest yardstick available — the average winning score relative to par in Opens since 1999 — the answer is Carnoustie among the regular hosts, with Turnberry’s lone modern Open technically posting a tougher number. At the other end, St Andrews, Royal Liverpool and Royal Portrush have surrendered winning scores averaging 16-under or lower. The full ranking of all ten modern venues is below.
The caveats matter, because links difficulty is mostly weather wearing a course’s clothes. Carnoustie produced the modern era’s highest winning score (Paul Lawrie’s six-over in 1999) and a pleasant eight-under nineteen years later. Royal Birkdale — hosting the 2026 Open this week — has swung fifteen shots between editions: Padraig Harrington ground out a three-over win in the 2008 gales, then Jordan Spieth cruised at twelve-under in 2017. Same dunes, different sky.
Still, patterns hold across decades: Carnoustie and Muirfield punish, St Andrews and Hoylake yield, and Troon is two courses in one depending on the wind. Here’s the data.
NFL History
Open Venues Ranked by Difficulty
Average winning score vs. par, Opens since 1999 — hardest first
+6Hardest Win, ’99
-20Easiest, ’16/’22
10Modern Venues
18Shot Swing, Carnoustie
The Difficulty Ranking
Average winning score relative to par across each venue’s Opens since 1999. Smaller (or positive) numbers = harder. Turnberry’s figure reflects a single Open.
| Rank |
Venue |
Avg. Win Score |
Last Hosted |
Notes |
| 1 |
Turnberry |
-2.0 |
2009 |
One Open since 1999 — Cink over Watson in brutal wind; currently off the rota |
| 2 |
Carnoustie |
-3.0 |
2018 |
“Car-nasty” — includes the +6 winning score in 1999, the highest of the modern era |
| T-3 |
Muirfield |
-4.5 |
2013 |
Mickelson’s -3 in 2013; Els won at -6 in 2002 |
| T-3 |
Royal Birkdale |
-4.5 |
2026 (current) |
Harrington won at +3 in 2008; Spieth at -12 in 2017 |
| 5 |
Royal St George’s |
-7.0 |
2021 |
Ranged from Curtis’ -1 (2003) to Morikawa’s -15 (2021) |
| 6 |
Royal Lytham & St Annes |
-8.5 |
2012 |
Els won at -7 in 2012; Duval at -10 in 2001 |
| 7 |
Royal Troon |
-13.0 |
2024 |
Stenson’s record -20 in 2016; Schauffele’s -9 in 2024 |
| T-8 |
Royal Portrush |
-16.0 |
2025 |
Lowry -15 (2019), Scheffler -17 (2025) — two Opens, two routs |
| T-8 |
Royal Liverpool |
-16.0 |
2023 |
Tiger -18 (2006), McIlroy -17 (2014), Harman -13 (2023) |
| 10 |
St Andrews |
-16.8 |
2022 |
Five Opens since 1999, none won worse than -14; Smith’s -20 in 2022 |
The Extremes
| Record |
Score / Holder |
Detail |
| Hardest winning score, modern era |
+6 — Paul Lawrie |
Carnoustie, 1999 |
| Next hardest |
+3 — Padraig Harrington |
Royal Birkdale, 2008 |
| Easiest (record low) |
-20 — Stenson & Smith |
Troon 2016 (264) and St Andrews 2022 (268) |
| Biggest same-venue swing |
18 shots |
Carnoustie: +6 in 1999 to -8 in 2018 |
| Birkdale’s own range |
15 shots |
+3 in 2008 to -12 in 2017 |
Why Weather Beats Architecture
The same Carnoustie that ate the field in 1999 gave up eight-under in 2018’s heatwave. On links courses, wind direction and firmness move scoring more than any setup decision — which is why averages, not single years, are the fair measure.
The Turnberry Asterisk
Turnberry tops the raw numbers on one data point: the wind-blasted 2009 Open, when 59-year-old Tom Watson came within a putt of winning at two-under. It hasn’t hosted since and is currently off the active rota.
Birkdale, This Week
The 2026 Open is testing the ranking live: Royal Birkdale opened firm and fast on Thursday with 59 players at par or better — pointing toward its 2017 self, not its brutal 2008 edition.
What the Ranking Really Tells You
Read the table as a probability statement, not a verdict. A calm week at Carnoustie will play easier than a gale at St Andrews — but across 27 years, the venues at the top have simply produced harder championships more often. It also explains betting and DFS lines each July: when the Open visits a bottom-half venue like Portrush or Hoylake, expect the winning number near 15-under; at Carnoustie or Muirfield, single digits win far more often than the modern game is used to.
The Bottom Line
By average winning score since 1999, Carnoustie is the hardest regular Open venue, Turnberry’s single savage Open edges it on paper, and St Andrews is comfortably the most yielding — with this week’s host, Royal Birkdale, sitting near the difficult end thanks to its 2008 horror show. For the tournament’s other mechanics, see how the cut works at The Open and what happens if The Open ends in a tie.
