GOLF.com: Open Championship Heads to St. Andrews in 2027 — Nicklaus Shares His Philosophy on Golf's Most Magical Venue

The 2026 Open Championship is underway at Royal Birkdale, but the golf world already has its eyes fixed on what comes next. The R&A has confirmed St. Andrews as the 2027 host, with Royal Lytham & St. Annes set to follow in 2028.

Nicklaus on the Magic of St. Andrews

Eighteen-time major champion Jack Nicklaus has long championed the Old Course as one of golf's irreplaceable tests. Speaking at the 2022 150th Open at St. Andrews, he marveled that a layout conceived centuries ago still challenges the world's best players today.

For Nicklaus, the course's power lies in its unpredictability — conditions, pin placements, firmness of turf — all of which converge to make each visit a fresh examination.

A Blueprint for Playing St. Andrews

Nicklaus outlined a course management philosophy that holds up remarkably well through a modern lens:

- Navigate by bunkers: Every tee shot is shaped around hazard positions, not just distance targets - Favor the left: The Old Course plays left — most serious trouble (OB, deep bunkers) clusters to the right - Green position over pin-seeking: In wind, leaving an impossible putt negates any gain from a well-struck approach

His recollection of 41 putts across his first two rounds in 1964, followed by rounds of 66 and 68 when the wind subsided, underscores just how dramatically conditions affect scoring at this venue.

Future Open Championship Venues

- 2027 — St. Andrews - 2028 — Royal Lytham & St. Annes

Strokeslab Perspective

Nicklaus's emphasis on leaving manageable putts is essentially a SG: Putting optimization strategy applied through approach shot selection — a concept that modern Strokes Gained analysis fully validates. As 2027 approaches, tracking SG: APP patterns at St. Andrews will be essential viewing.