If championship courses are measured by those who have won a tournament of significance there, shouldn't Lytham be considered one of the best courses of the Open rota? Consider who has won there:
-- Duval in 2001, who in the few years prior to his win was probably the only player in the world who could reasonably claim to be able to go head-to-head with Tiger.
-- Lehman in 1996, arguably one of the two or three best players in the world right before Tiger showed up a year later (actually later that year).
-- Seve, twice, and you'd have a good argument as to who was the best modern Euro-based player in history between him and Faldo.
-- Tony Jacklin, along with Nicklaus and Trevino the best player in the world at the time.
-- Player, one of the five or so greatest players in the game.
-- Bob Charles, the best left-handed player in history pre-Mickelson, and an under-rated talent who won worldwide throughout the 1960s and 70s.
-- Peter Thomson, winner of 5 Open championships, T-2nd for most wins in the championship.
-- Bobby Locke, four-time winner of the Open championship (who also had 8 top-5 finishes in majors in addition to his four wins at the Open).
-- Bobby Jones, who needs little introduction.
There's not a cheap winner in the bunch.