Royal Birkdale: What to Know Before The Open 2026

I'm not a golfer. Let me say that upfront. But I live five minutes from Royal Birkdale, I've watched The Open from the hillside, and I know this corner of Southport better than most people who do play golf. This is the guide for everyone who wants to understand what The Open at Royal Birkdale is actually like — whether you're planning a future visit, or just want to know what happened in 2026.

About Royal Birkdale

Royal Birkdale Golf Club is consistently rated as one of the finest links courses in the world. It has now hosted The Open Championship eleven times, with champions including Arnold Palmer (1961), Lee Trevino (1971), Tom Watson (1983), Tiger Woods (1998), Padraig Harrington (2008), Jordan Spieth (2017), and most recently Ryan Fox of New Zealand in 2026.

The course is private and sits in the sand dunes of Birkdale, about two miles from Southport town centre. What makes it distinctive is that the fairways run between the dunes rather than over them, which means the wind matters enormously and the rough is brutal. During Open week, the course becomes accessible to spectators in a way it never normally is.

The 2026 Open: what happened

Ryan Fox of New Zealand won The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on 19 July 2026. He was 39, had never previously finished in the top ten at a major, and came from tied 52nd after Friday's second round. He shot a 62 in Round 3 to tie the major championship scoring record, then closed with a 68 on Sunday. A 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole gave him a one-shot victory over Cameron Young. It is the largest 36-hole comeback by position in men's major history.

Tommy Fleetwood, born in Southport and the crowd's favourite throughout the week, birdied 17 and 18 on the final day to finish tied fourth. The reception he received walking up the 18th was the loudest noise of the week. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one and defending champion, finished joint fourth having birdied 16 and 17 before bogeying 18.

The atmosphere

I've been to four Open Championships at Royal Birkdale in my lifetime. The 2026 version was exceptional. The weather was unusually warm — touching 26 degrees in mid-July — and the town had a different energy all week. Birkdale village was operating at maximum capacity from the Monday practice round onwards. Lord Street was busier than at Christmas. 250,000 people came through the gates across the week.

It was the kind of week that reminds Southport what it's capable of. The course, the town, the atmosphere, the drama on the final day. I'm glad I was here for it.

For future visitors: getting there

When The Open returns to Royal Birkdale in a future year, the transport advice will be the same as it was in 2026. Do not drive to the course. The R&A operates park and ride from designated Southport sites. The Merseyrail train to Hillside station (NOT Birkdale station) puts you five minutes walk from the course entrance on Waterloo Road. The next Open at Birkdale has not yet been announced, but given the course's history, it will return.

• →Train: Merseyrail Southport line to Hillside station (second stop from Southport). Approximately 5 minutes walk to the course entrance.
• →Do NOT alight at Birkdale station: it is one stop too early and leaves you 15 minutes walk in the wrong direction.
• →Park and ride: R&A operated shuttles from multiple Southport sites. Book passes in advance.
• →Taxi from town centre: approximately £8-12, but traffic is heavy on championship days.

What to bring

• →Waterproofs — it's July in Lancashire. It will rain at some point.
• →Comfortable walking shoes — the course is large and the dunes are uneven.
• →Binoculars — the course covers substantial ground and grandstands fill early.
• →Cash — some areas on site are cash-only.
• →Small soft bag — hard cases are not permitted.

Where to eat near the course

Birkdale village is the closest food and drink option to Royal Birkdale, about 10 minutes walk from the course entrance. The restaurants and pubs here get very busy from the Monday practice round onwards during Open week. Book ahead for anything that takes reservations. Walk-ins on championship round evenings are essentially not happening.