History and character
Royal Birkdale, on the Lancashire coast at Southport, is widely regarded as the finest links in England and one of the most respected on the Open rota. It has hosted the Open ten times, with champions including Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and more recently Jordan Spieth’s dramatic 2017 victory. The current layout owes much to a 1930s redesign by Fred Hawtree and J.H. Taylor, who routed the holes through the valleys between huge sandhills rather than over them. The result is a fair, sheltered-looking links where the fairways sit flat in the dunes but the wind still rules.
The round and signature holes
Birkdale is prized for its fairness — the dune valleys give you flatter lies than many links — but the test sharpens dramatically as you turn for home. The par-five 15th, named Pavilion, is a genuine three-shot hole guarded by bunkers that has decided championships. The short par-four 17th and the par-five 18th offer late chances to attack, while the small, well-bunkered greens demand precision throughout. Arnold Palmer’s famous 1961 escape from thick rough on the old 16th is commemorated by a plaque, a reminder that straying from the fairway here carries a heavy price.
When to go and how to get on
The links season on the Lancashire coast runs from spring into autumn, with May to September offering the best mix of daylight, firm turf and the most settled weather. Birkdale is a private members’ club but welcomes visitors on most weekdays by prior arrangement, and tee times should be booked well ahead, especially in peak summer. Green fees reflect its standing among the world’s great links. As with all British links, pack full waterproofs and expect the wind off the Irish Sea to dictate your strategy.
Who it is for and pairings
Royal Birkdale is for the golfer who wants a true Open-quality test in a fair, walkable setting, and it anchors one of the densest concentrations of great links anywhere. England’s Golf Coast around Southport packs Royal Lytham, Hillside, Formby and Royal Liverpool all within a short drive, so a week here can take in several Open venues without long transfers. Liverpool and Manchester airports are both close, making it an easy base, and many travellers combine it with a hop across the Irish Sea to the links of Ireland or Northern Ireland.