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Royal Birkdale
Royal Birkdale | NCG Top 100s: GB&I Golf Courses
Royal Birkdale is without doubt, the best golf course in the north of England. An Open Championship venue, and soon to be the host once more, it is a stunning place to play golf.
There is arguably no finer destination for a golfing break this side of St Andrews. The ideal base is Southport, a popular resort since Victorian times and now packed with hotels, B&Bs and places to eat and drink – perfect for a weekend away, especially since motorway access to Liverpool and Blackpool makes it highly accessible.
Royal Birkdale is just a few miles down the coast, with Hillside and Hesketh flanking it on either side and S&A beyond the former, on the other side of the train tracks. It is a links-lover’s paradise.
Its unparalleled status within English golf has become less a matter of opinion than a statement of fact. Birkdale’s most distinctive feature is the highly unusual Art Deco clubhouse. The white exterior was (successfully) designed to resemble an ocean liner ploughing between the massive dunes that are a trademark of the club.
2024 notes: Birkdale has evolved significantly over the years, and the latest stage has seen Tom Mackenzie build a new 15th hole – that is now open – as well as significantly changing several others.
Visit the Royal Birkdale website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.
Royal Birkdale is just a few miles down the coast, with Hillside and Hesketh flanking it on either side and S&A beyond the former, on the other side of the train tracks. It is a links-lover’s paradise.
Its unparalleled status within English golf has become less a matter of opinion than a statement of fact. Birkdale’s most distinctive feature is the highly unusual Art Deco clubhouse. The white exterior was (successfully) designed to resemble an ocean liner ploughing between the massive dunes that are a trademark of the club.
2024 notes: Birkdale has evolved significantly over the years, and the latest stage has seen Tom Mackenzie build a new 15th hole – that is now open – as well as significantly changing several others.
Visit the Royal Birkdale website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.
A Brief History of Royal Birkdale
Something of a late developer, it was 1951 before Birkdale became Royal and another three years after that until The Open first arrived. As though making up for lost time, it has since held Curtis, Walker and Ryder Cups, as well as any number of prestigious amateur events and the AIG Women's Open.
Formed in 1889, the members moved to Birkdale Hills, the current location, eight years later with the clubhouse arriving in the 1930s following the extensive redesign to the course that was carried out by Fred Hawtree and JH Taylor in 1931.
Originally designed by George Low, what is now the 5th used to be the opening hole. As one of the easiest holes on the course, it was a considerably more gentle beginning than its successor.
The Ryder Cup has also called Royal Birkdale home in the past. The 1969 edition had seen 16 of 31 matches go down the last when Tony Jacklin drained a long putt at the 17th to square his decisive singles against Jack Nicklaus in the last match of the day.
With the overall scores also tied, the result would all depend on the 18th. Both somehow found the green in two, but neither could get as close as he would have liked with his third. Nicklaus calmly rolled his ball into the hole and promptly conceded Jacklin’s putt. It was a gesture in the grandest traditions of the game; and it belongs to one of its grandest venues.
Originally designed by George Low, what is now the 5th used to be the opening hole. As one of the easiest holes on the course, it was a considerably more gentle beginning than its successor.
The Ryder Cup has also called Royal Birkdale home in the past. The 1969 edition had seen 16 of 31 matches go down the last when Tony Jacklin drained a long putt at the 17th to square his decisive singles against Jack Nicklaus in the last match of the day.
With the overall scores also tied, the result would all depend on the 18th. Both somehow found the green in two, but neither could get as close as he would have liked with his third. Nicklaus calmly rolled his ball into the hole and promptly conceded Jacklin’s putt. It was a gesture in the grandest traditions of the game; and it belongs to one of its grandest venues.
Royal Birkdale Review | NCG Top 100s: GB&I Golf Courses
The first tee shot must hug the line of the bunker on the left on the inside corner of this 449-yard dogleg. Out of bounds lurks menacingly to the right and only a fine tee shot permits a clear view of the green for the second.
With holes running in constantly changing directions and fairways flanked by massive dunes, it’s easy to lose your bearings. You can also forget there’s anyone else on the course and it comes as a surprise at various points when you emerge close to a green or fairway you’ve already seen. There’s always something special about a course where each hole is divorced from the others, but it’s almost unheard of for a links to manage this effect.
Only from the elevated tee at the short 7th is a view offered across the links, elsewhere the fairways tend to run in glorious seclusion. They are also remarkably flat, one fundamental reason why the course meets such approval from the modern tournament professional. After the 1st, the next significant challenge is the 6th, surely as mighty a two-shotter as any in championship golf. Formerly a par-5, this is a hole where even today’s equipment cannot guarantee reaching the green in regulation when conditions are unfavourable.
Being able to carry the two fairway bunkers from the tee is almost a prerequisite to making a two-putt par, but even from there, the green sits far away, elevated and fronted by sand. Following the awkward drive at the 9th, played blind across the angle of the fairway, the 10th tee is back in close proximity to the clubhouse. There’s no time to draw breath because this right-to-left dogleg skirts between bunkers and wild hillocks and can cause all manner of problems when it plays into the breeze.
The 12th, right at the far end of the property, is arguably Birkdale’s outstanding short hole. From the tee, the green is an oasis of short grass, surrounded by rough-sprouting dunes. It’s a test of nerve as much as skill.
At 498 yards, the 13th is a par four only in name, and at that only for the professionals. It plays every inch, its flat fairway seeming to extend forever and the distant green never quite in range. The 14th is another short hole of genuine quality before the start of Royal Birkdale’s famed closing run. In years gone by, no fewer than four of the last six holes were par fives, but since then both the 13th and 18th have become fours. The 15th, at a shade under 550 yards, is still very much a par five. With 13 bunkers punctuating the fairway at regular intervals, a clear strategy is essential.
The 16th is best known for Arnold Palmer’s exploits there in the 1961 Open, when it was the 15th. The American famously managed to extricate his ball from the apparently impenetrable undergrowth, slashing it onto the green on his way to victory. The last of the par fives, the 17th, turns left at driving distance, the fairway defined by two giant mounds, evocatively named Scylla and Charybdis, which must be avoided at all costs. The last hole, a long dog-leg right finishing underneath the clubhouse’s bay windows, is positively awash with memories, Seve and Rose’s heroics among them.
There’s also Brian Watts’s exquisite sand shot – played with one foot out of the bunker – which secured a play-off with O’Meara in ‘98, and Watson’s two-iron approach to confirm his fifth and final win Open in ‘83.
With holes running in constantly changing directions and fairways flanked by massive dunes, it’s easy to lose your bearings. You can also forget there’s anyone else on the course and it comes as a surprise at various points when you emerge close to a green or fairway you’ve already seen. There’s always something special about a course where each hole is divorced from the others, but it’s almost unheard of for a links to manage this effect.
Only from the elevated tee at the short 7th is a view offered across the links, elsewhere the fairways tend to run in glorious seclusion. They are also remarkably flat, one fundamental reason why the course meets such approval from the modern tournament professional. After the 1st, the next significant challenge is the 6th, surely as mighty a two-shotter as any in championship golf. Formerly a par-5, this is a hole where even today’s equipment cannot guarantee reaching the green in regulation when conditions are unfavourable.
Being able to carry the two fairway bunkers from the tee is almost a prerequisite to making a two-putt par, but even from there, the green sits far away, elevated and fronted by sand. Following the awkward drive at the 9th, played blind across the angle of the fairway, the 10th tee is back in close proximity to the clubhouse. There’s no time to draw breath because this right-to-left dogleg skirts between bunkers and wild hillocks and can cause all manner of problems when it plays into the breeze.
The 12th, right at the far end of the property, is arguably Birkdale’s outstanding short hole. From the tee, the green is an oasis of short grass, surrounded by rough-sprouting dunes. It’s a test of nerve as much as skill.
At 498 yards, the 13th is a par four only in name, and at that only for the professionals. It plays every inch, its flat fairway seeming to extend forever and the distant green never quite in range. The 14th is another short hole of genuine quality before the start of Royal Birkdale’s famed closing run. In years gone by, no fewer than four of the last six holes were par fives, but since then both the 13th and 18th have become fours. The 15th, at a shade under 550 yards, is still very much a par five. With 13 bunkers punctuating the fairway at regular intervals, a clear strategy is essential.
The 16th is best known for Arnold Palmer’s exploits there in the 1961 Open, when it was the 15th. The American famously managed to extricate his ball from the apparently impenetrable undergrowth, slashing it onto the green on his way to victory. The last of the par fives, the 17th, turns left at driving distance, the fairway defined by two giant mounds, evocatively named Scylla and Charybdis, which must be avoided at all costs. The last hole, a long dog-leg right finishing underneath the clubhouse’s bay windows, is positively awash with memories, Seve and Rose’s heroics among them.
There’s also Brian Watts’s exquisite sand shot – played with one foot out of the bunker – which secured a play-off with O’Meara in ‘98, and Watson’s two-iron approach to confirm his fifth and final win Open in ‘83.
FAQs about Royal Birkdale
Where is Royal Birkdale located?
Royal Birkdale is located in Southport, Merseyside, north of Liverpool. Southport & Ainsdale, Hillside, and Formby are all within walking distance from Royal Birkdale.
For international visitors, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport will provide daily flights to countries around the world. Both are within an hours drive from Royal Liverpool.
What golf facilities does Royal Birkdale offer?
Along with the glorious 18-hole championship layout, Royal Birkdale is also home to some amazing practice facilities. There is an all-grass driving range with complimentary balls available, while the short game area has two different greens, both of which offer up the types of shots that you might face while out on the course. There is a putting green by the clubhouse, to allow to you to prepare those nerve-wracking putts before taking to the course.
Royal Birkdale is located in Southport, Merseyside, north of Liverpool. Southport & Ainsdale, Hillside, and Formby are all within walking distance from Royal Birkdale.
For international visitors, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport will provide daily flights to countries around the world. Both are within an hours drive from Royal Liverpool.
What golf facilities does Royal Birkdale offer?
Along with the glorious 18-hole championship layout, Royal Birkdale is also home to some amazing practice facilities. There is an all-grass driving range with complimentary balls available, while the short game area has two different greens, both of which offer up the types of shots that you might face while out on the course. There is a putting green by the clubhouse, to allow to you to prepare those nerve-wracking putts before taking to the course.
What are the green fees at Royal Birkdale?
The price of a green fee at Royal Birkdale changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.
The price of a green fee at Royal Birkdale changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.
For more information on current green fees at Royal Birkdale, visit their website here.
How many times has Royal Birkdale hosted the Open Championship?
Royal Birkdale has been the host venue for the Open Championship on ten previous occasions, with the likes of Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington all victorious. Jordan Spieth was the last man to win at Birkdale, doing so in 2017. The fabled tournament will return to the course in 2026.
The venue has also played host to six editions of the AIG Women's Open, most recently in 2014. The Amateur Championship, Curtis Cup and Walker Cup have all also been held at Birkdale in the venue's history.
How many times has Royal Birkdale hosted the Open Championship?
Royal Birkdale has been the host venue for the Open Championship on ten previous occasions, with the likes of Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington all victorious. Jordan Spieth was the last man to win at Birkdale, doing so in 2017. The fabled tournament will return to the course in 2026.
The venue has also played host to six editions of the AIG Women's Open, most recently in 2014. The Amateur Championship, Curtis Cup and Walker Cup have all also been held at Birkdale in the venue's history.