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The R&A announced that Carnoustie Golf Links will host the Open Championship in 2029, returning to the historic Scottish venue. While the course is widely regarded as one of the most difficult in major championship golf, the decision reflects a much deeper economic and structural evolution behind the scenes.
Private Investment and the Road to Carnoustie
Carnoustie last hosted the Open in 2018 during a historic summer where Francesco Molinari won and Tiger Woods contended in front of 172,000 attendees. However, attendance figures at recent Opens have climbed significantly higher, with events regularly drawing nearly 300,000 patrons across eight days and injecting massive economic value into host regions.
According to presentations made by the Angus Council, local investors began focusing on the economic potential of Carnoustie years ago. Although the links course manages about 130,000 rounds annually, it generated far less business than the St. Andrews Links Trust to the south, constrained partly by local accommodations and transit proximity compared to Edinburgh. The Angus Council ultimately decided that a different operational approach might create better long-term sustainability.
A New Consortium and Local Commitments
A consortium led by Max Herberstein pitched a plan to transform the town of roughly 11,000 residents into a stronger golf tourism destination. The group promised that local golfers would retain access to the courses, while pledging major renovations to the local hotel and investments across the championship course, Burnside, and Buddon. Their strategy heavily emphasized securing regular visits from the R&A for the men’s, senior, and women’s Open championships.
In 2023, Herberstein’s group purchased the Carnoustie Golf Hotel for approximately £10 million. Local executives emphasized that modern Open championships require hotel upgrades, prompting the consortium’s commitment. By early 2025, the group officially finalized an agreement with the Angus Council and the operating charity to take over day-to-day operations for eight years through the Carnoustie Golf Heritage and Hospitality Group Limited (CGHH).
Infrastructure Upgrades and Logistical Calculations
Business filings in the U.K. show Herberstein owns about 40 percent of CGHH, with a few dozen other entities making up the remainder, including second director Paul Lisiak. Shortly after taking over, the group hosted an event honoring long-serving caddies to reassure locals, alongside proposing broader investments in the area.
The group also acquired Simpson’s Golf Shop, recognized as the second-oldest golf shop in the world located across from the 18th green, with plans to convert it into a historical monument honoring Robert Simpson. Additionally, hotel expansion plans call for 25 new luxury rooms, complementing £12 million already spent acquiring and redeveloping local projects, including turning a local bar near the train station into a cafe and cocktail bar named Maxi’s.
These investments and logistical readiness helped Carnoustie secure the 2029 bid over venues like Muirfield and Turnberry, both of which face ongoing crowd space and transportation hurdles. With private investment aligning closely with the R&A’s push for larger events, Carnoustie is positioning itself to handle the massive influx of visitors expected in July 2029.
