A celebration of the venerable tournament and hallowed links in Scotland that gave birth to the sport. Published to coincide with the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in 2010, ''The Open'' captures the unique experience of playing the courses that have made the championship's Claret Jug the sport's most coveted trophy. Set into the spectacular British coastline, from St. Andrews in Scotland to St. George's in Kent, the fourteen courses that have hosted the best players in the world since the mid-nineteenth century are famed not only for their beauty but also for their character. In ''The Open: Golf's Oldest Major,'' The R&A presents an astonishing photographic celebration of a tournament that has hosted every icon of the sport, from Old Tom Morris to Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. Bringing together classic images of unforgettable moments in the competition's history with vintage photographs, many previously unpublished, sourced by Getty Images from archives throughout Britain, and including new photographs of the courses by David Cannon, this extravagantly illustrated book captures both the excitement and the glory of The Open and the unparalleled beauty of the courses themselves.