Open week in Southport is unlike any other week in the town's year. The population effectively doubles. Every restaurant and hotel is full. The pubs near Royal Birkdale are genuinely extraordinary — packed with golf fans from around the world who've travelled specifically to be here. If you're visiting for the first time, here's how the week breaks down.
📅The Open Championship 2026 · Royal Birkdale, Southport · Tuesday 14 July (first practice round) to Sunday 19 July (final round) · The 154th Open Championship
Tuesday–Wednesday: Practice Rounds
Practice rounds are the best value experience of the week. Tickets are cheaper, crowds are smaller, and you can get much closer to the players. The atmosphere is relaxed and players will sometimes engage with the crowd. If you're on a budget or new to watching golf live, Tuesday and Wednesday practice rounds are the recommendation.
Getting to Royal Birkdale by train, shuttle and on foot:
The Open 2026 Transport Guide →Thursday–Friday: The Opening Rounds
The competitive rounds begin on Thursday. By Friday evening, the cut has been made and the field is down to the top half of scorers. The town energy shifts noticeably from Wednesday to Thursday — there's something electric about opening day of a major that you feel in the town as well as on the course.
The Weekend: When Southport Is at Its Most Extraordinary
Saturday and Sunday during the final rounds of The Open are when Southport is at its most alive and most chaotic in equal measure. The excitement in the town on Sunday afternoon as the final round reaches its conclusion is something I've watched build over multiple Opens here. It's worth being somewhere with a TV if you're not at the course — The Bold, Hesketh Arms in Churchtown, or any of the pubs screening it.
Where to Eat During Open Week
Book everything. I'm not being dramatic. The restaurants worth going to are full for the week. Book as soon as you know your dates. Hickory's on the waterfront, The Bold on Lord Street, The Swan in Churchtown — all will be booked out. If you haven't reserved, Southport Market on Market Street is walk-in friendly and good.
Best restaurants in Southport — with honest reviews:
Southport Restaurant Guide →Full Open 2026 guide — tickets, transport, accommodation:
The Open Championship 2026 →Detailed guides to every links golf course on the Sefton Coast — Royal Birkdale, Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale, and more:
Sefton Links Golf Guide →Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk — Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
