Royal Birkdale Golf Club: Course Review, Tee Times and Key Info

Royal Birkdale Golf Club Key Information

Royal Birkdale Golf Club

England's highest-ranked course in the Top 100 Golf Courses UK & Ireland, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, holds an enviable record. Dating back to the original Golf Monthly course rankings, no course in England has ever held a higher position than the classic and extremely fair links at Royal Birkdale. It was originally designed in the late 1890s by George Lowe before being raised to championship quality and status in the 1920s by Hawtree and Taylor. Their very fair design philosophy was to route the holes though the dunes rather than over them. The result is a perfectly honest test that will reward good strategy and execution. The course naturally features at the top of the lists of the best links courses in the UK and of course the best golf courses in Lancashire.

The club hosted its first Open Championship in 1954 and has now staged the tournament on ten occasions, most recently in 2017 when Jordan Spieth won in a thrilling climax. Although the individual holes play along generally level ground, the course is also blessed with some of the most impressive dunes in England. These frame and separate the holes beautifully for the golfer, while also serving as perfect vantage points when important championships are being staged. I returned to play it a couple of Summers ago and was blown away by how good it has become.

The course sets out its stall with one of the most demanding and fearsome opening holes, a right to left dogleg that is renowned as being one of the most challenging par 4s on the Open roster. Safely negotiated, you then constantly twist and turn with very few consecutive holes playing in the same direction. The wind here is a key defence, and this calls for a constant revision on just about every tee.

I think that the four par 3s are particularly strong and interesting, with perhaps the standout being the excellent 12th which is played to a steep-fronted green set in an amphitheatre of dunes. I am now very much looking forward to playing the new 15th, replacing the old 14th. The closing hole plays back towards the iconic and instantly recognisable art deco clubhouse. It is a very pleasing and manageable par 5 when played from the regular tees, but an altogether tougher proposition as a par 4 when played from the championship tee. Related to this, it is worth remembering that while there is a very demanding par of 70 from the back tees, it is a more generous 72 from the yellows. This means that despite its rich Open heritage and pedigree, the course that heads the list of the best golf courses in England is playable and enjoyable by all.

What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said...

Richard Healy

The expectation and excitement felt beforehand was exceeded on the day. The welcome from all the staff and members, seeing the clubhouse, the secretary taking time to say hi and welcome us, and finally the quality, challenge and joy to walk such an iconic Open venue.

Emily Hudson

The terrain gives each hole impressive definition, with the scale of some of the dunes (whether natural or cultivated) adding to the magnitude of the course. An exceptional yet relentless challenge. Given that the club is an Open venue and of high quality, I was impressed that it still felt very welcoming.

Andrew Oliver

All the Open rota courses are special but not all are still truly great and relevant in the game today… however, Royal Birkdale certainly is. No tricks and no gimmicks, just the purest links test which gives you exactly the score you’ll deserve.

Royal Birkdale Golf Club Location

Royal Birkdale Scorecard

Best Courses Near To Royal Birkdale

HILLSIDE

This ever-improving links is packed with strong and individual holes, presented in pristine condition. The routing takes you initially alongside a magnetic railway, then over gently undulating fairways, through majestic sand dunes and amongst scenic pines. The back nine is sensational.

SOUTHPORT & AINSDALE

James Braid designed the links in 1923 and it has just the one starting point, a superb par 3. This is a very engaging course with plenty to recommend, and in an area packed with pristine links, it is also one of the best and most memorable.

Best Places To Stay Near Royal Birkdale

Dukes Folly Hotel - Book now at Booking.com

Perfectly located in Southport, the Dukes Folly has 20 bedrooms, some of which have a four-poster bed. There is a modern lounge bar, and an excellent breakfast is served until 10.

Prince Of Wales Hotel - Book now at Booking.com

With its Victorian features, the Prince Of Wales is centrally located in Southport. The Colonial Restaurant serves traditional British dishes and the Clubhouse Bar has a golf theme. A full English breakfast is served every morning.

Royal Birkdale Gallery

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Historical Top 100 Rankings UK&I

• 2025/26 - 06
• 2023/24 - 05
• 2021/22 - 07
• 2019/20 - 06
• 2017/18 - 06
• 2015/16 - 05
• 2013/14 - 05
• 2011/12 - 05
• 2009/10 - 05

Frequently Asked Questions