9 things to know about Royal Birkdale, the 'fairest' Open test

Royal Birkdale, a course that winds through towering dunes yet features relatively tame contouring, is once again set to host one of the world's oldest and most prestigious golf tournaments – The Open Championship. Nine years ago, Jordan Spieth spent about 20 minutes deliberating his drop options with the Claret Jug on the line. Time has flown by, and now The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale for the club's 11th turn as host. Before play begins, here are some things to know about this outstanding venue, often referred to as the 'fairest' test in golf.

Born as a nine-hole course

The club's story began in 1889 with a nine-hole layout. Just eight years later, it moved to its current home in the Birkdale Hills. There, George Lowe, the head professional at nearby Royal Lytham & St. Annes, designed the 18 holes that form the basis of the modern course.

Located in a golf-rich zip code

Public tee times are unavailable at Royal Birkdale this week. However, there are plenty of other excellent courses nearby. Within an hour's drive along the Irish Sea coast, you can reach renowned venues like Royal Lytham, Royal Liverpool, Wallasey, Formby, West Lancashire, Hillside, and Southport & Ainsdale. This region is rightly considered one of the most concentrated areas for golf clubs in the world.

A relative newcomer to the Open rota

Among all the courses currently on The Open Championship rota, Royal Birkdale is the most 'recent' host. Despite its founding in 1889, its first Open Championship took place only in 1954, when Peter Thomson emerged victorious.

'Royal' designation marked a rising reputation

Not every great links course earns the royal title. Royal Birkdale received this honor in 1951 when King George VI granted the club permission to add the coveted prefix to its name. This was no coincidence: in 1946 and 1948, Birkdale successfully hosted the British Amateur Championship and the Curtis Cup, respectively. And in 1951, six months before the monarch's official approval, the club proved its mettle by hosting another major tournament, foreshadowing its future role in The Open.

Stadium golf before it was a thing

Long before the advent of artificial 'stadium' courses, Royal Birkdale offered a natural example. Its layout, ranked 42nd on GOLF's Top 100 Courses in the World list, winds through a landscape of towering dunes. Despite these dramatic features, the course design is relatively understated, with mostly mellow contours and few blind shots. It is often called the 'fairest' test in The Open Championship, though few who find themselves in the deep, steep, and cunningly placed fairway bunkers would likely agree. These bunkers are a central element of the course's defense.

Clubhouse breaks the links mold

Unlike the stately Victorian and Tudor clubhouses found at many other Open Championship venues, Royal Birkdale's headquarters looks almost futuristic. This striking Art Deco building opened in 1935 after architects Fred Hawtree and J.H. Taylor rerouted the course, moving the first hole and rendering the old pavilion obsolete. Architect George Tonge won a design competition with a building inspired by an ocean liner. As he later explained, "I imagined the lines of a liner at sea; the perfect balance of the ship at whatever angle and from whatever side it was seen." Nearly a century later, it remains one of the most recognizable clubhouses in championship golf history.

A career bookended by Birkdale

Thomson's victory in 1954 was the first of his three consecutive Open Championship wins, in a career that ultimately totaled five titles. Royal Birkdale served as a bookend to this remarkable achievement, as it also hosted the 1965 Open Championship – the last time Thomson lifted the Claret Jug.

Marquee winners and unforgettable moments

The list of Royal Birkdale champions reads like a Hall of Fame ballot. Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Padraig Harrington, and Jordan Spieth have all lifted the Claret Jug here. The near-misses have been almost as memorable.

In 1976, a 19-year-old Seve Ballesteros burst onto the international stage with an impressive performance. His masterful chip from the rough on the 18th hole, bouncing between bunkers, stopped within tap-in range, securing him a tie for second place with Jack Nicklaus. Twenty-two years later, another breakout performance occurred. This time, it was 17-year-old amateur Justin Rose, who holed out from the rough on the final hole to finish fourth. That shot gave rise to one of the most 'meme-worthy' celebrations in Open Championship history.

Then came Spieth in 2017. The championship is remembered for a 20-minute rules discussion after his wayward drive on the 13th hole. But what followed was even more remarkable. Spieth managed to salvage bogey, then played his final five holes in five-under par, including a birdie on the par-5 15th and a bunker shot into the hole on the 17th, turning one of the Open's strangest detours into one of its most brilliant finishes.

The Birkdale Spieth conquered is not the same

Championship courses often undergo architectural 'tucks and tucks' between major events. Royal Birkdale has undergone more of a 'facelift'. Since Spieth's victory in 2017, the club has made several significant changes. The old 14th hole is gone, and the new 15th hole is an absolute monster – a par-3 that can stretch to 240 yards. After a scouting visit, Spieth described the new hole as compelling but suggested it could become 'tricky' with incorrect tee placements, perhaps playing better when tees are moved forward to a 6- or 7-iron range. The fifth hole has also been transformed from a partially blind tee shot into a drivable par-4 after the removal of a large dune, giving players a clear view of the green. However, beware the pond lurking to the right. As for the new 15th hole, the first bunker near the green can play tricks on your perception. Sir Nick Faldo described it as an 'optical illusion' because, from the tee, it appears to sit directly in front of the putting surface, when in reality, it is offset to the left.

Royal Birkdale continues to be one of the most respected and challenging courses in golf, offering a unique blend of natural beauty and strategic depth that consistently tests the world's best players.