Tickets for The Open 2026 at Royal Birkdale are genuinely hard to come by. Championship round tickets — especially the weekend — are largely gone or held for resale at significant premiums. But plenty of people visit Southport during Open week without a ticket and have a thoroughly worthwhile trip. Here's how.
📅The Open Championship 2026 · Royal Birkdale · 12–19 July 2026 · Even without course access, Open week transforms the whole town — worth being here
Watch It in a Southport Pub
The atmosphere in Southport's pubs during the final round of The Open is something you don't get anywhere else. People who've been on the course all day returning for a pint. International visitors. Locals. Golf fans from across the world. Several pubs set up big screens for the weekend. The Bold on Lord Street is one of the best bets — atmospheric, central, good beer. Book a table well in advance.
Best pubs near Royal Birkdale for Open week:
Best Pubs for Open Week →Practice Round Tickets
Practice round tickets (Tuesday and Wednesday) are more available and considerably cheaper than championship round tickets. If you can be flexible on your days, Tuesday or Wednesday access gets you onto the course, close to the players, and into the atmosphere — for a fraction of the championship weekend cost.
The Town During Open Week
Wander Lord Street. Visit Wayfarers Arcade. Eat well — the restaurants are at full stretch but they're all performing. Walk the seafront. The town has an energy during Open week that's worth experiencing on its own terms, regardless of golf. International visitors discover Southport for the first time and are consistently surprised by it. You get to show them what it is.
Birkdale Village
Birkdale village — about a mile from Royal Birkdale — becomes the social epicentre of Open week. The restaurants and pubs here are packed with fans before and after play each day. This is where you'll find the genuine golf atmosphere if you're not inside the course. Worth the short drive or walk from the town centre.
The full picture of Open week in Southport — transport, accommodation, what to do:
The Open 2026 Complete Guide →Hotels and accommodation still available for Open week:
Southport Hotels →Royal Birkdale and every links course on the Sefton Coast — course reviews, history, and visitor guides:
Sefton Links Golf Guide →Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk — Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
