My 3 Key Takeaways From A Round At Royal Birkdale Ahead Of The 2026 Open

Golf's oldest Major returns to Royal Birkdale for the first time since 2017, when Jordan Spieth came out on top after a rollercoaster Sunday to win his third Major.

The course has undergone some huge changes for 2026, including a brand new par 3, 19 fewer bunkers, 67 extra yards, five new tees and a new practice area, among many other tweaks.

I recently got the honor of playing it before the world's best arrive to vie for the Claret Jug. It was my 37th course in Golf Monthly's UK and Ireland Top 100 Course rankings and my fourth Open venue after Royal Lytham and St Annes, Royal Troon and Trump Turnberry.

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So, what can we expect from the 154th Open? Here's what I experienced...

The arrival was a little underwhelming compared to some Top 100 courses. Birkdale's iconic Art Deco clubhouse sits just beyond a local school and a tarmac car park. There is no grand, gated entrance or private drive... but thankfully, you're there for the golf course.

Inside, the bar has an incredible view of the 18th green – I'm very jealous of the members who get to watch events unfold from there on Open Sunday – and the memorabilia dotted around the corridors is testament to the club's grand history.

It has hosted ten Opens, six Women's Opens, and many other elite tournaments, including The Amateur Championship, Walker Cup, Curtis Cup and Senior Open.

I would say there is nothing particularly flashy about Royal Birkdale. It hasn't got the best views or perhaps even a signature hole; it's just pure links golf of the highest quality among some giant sand dunes.

It's remarkable how undulating the property is despite giving the impression of being a fairly flat piece of land.

No gentle start

There's no easing you into the round at Royal Birkdale, with the par-4, 447-yard opener considered among the toughest starting holes on the Open rota.

Out of bounds lines the right side and is frighteningly close to the fairway. The hole bends slightly left with a solitary pot bunker on the corner and two more guarding the putting surface. It's a brutal start and a horrible opening tee shot if you're a bag of nerves and the wind is blowing in off the left.

The highlight of the front nine is the stretch from the 4th to the 7th. The 4th is the first par 3 and plays 219 yards slightly downhill to a well-bunkered green. It's a gorgeous hole that's 20 yards longer than in 2017.

Birkdale's four par 3s are all stunners and each plays in a different direction, which is one of many subtle things this links does so well.

The 5th is the most fun hole. The drivable dogleg-right par 4 has been reduced by 25 yards to just 321 and will make for thrilling viewing in The Open, tempting the pros to have a crack at threading a drive between bunkers and hoping for a friendly bounce.

The incredible green has dramatic run-offs all round, with scope for a devilish back-right pin, perched in front of a cliff-like drop-off.

It is also home to a small pond in the right rough, a rare bit of water that I managed to find. Competitors could also donate a ball if they hit an ugly push-slice like I did, but if they're hitting shots like that, they won't be around for the weekend.

The demanding dogleg-right 514-yard par-4 6th follows, definitely one of the toughest holes on the course.

The downhill 151-yard 7th is the shortest hole. A mere flick of a wedge should result in plenty of birdies, but a bogey is easily made as poor shots are severely punished at Royal Birkdale.

Miss any of the greens and you'll likely find a tiny pot bunker or face a tricky chip up and over mounds to a pin tucked on a shelf.

A strong greenside test

What stood out to me at Birkdale was that the green complexes are incredibly undulating, and many are perched up high.

The huge run-offs, featuring bumps, hollows and tiny pot bunkers, are a great defence against the big-hitting modern pro.

It feels like every green and surround has been given 100% attention to make it as challenging as possible. They're the stars of the show.

The 8th doglegs left while the 9th curves right back towards the clubhouse. The dogleg-left 10th then starts a fun three-hole stretch.

The 11th is a tough, straight par 4 with an elevated tee and some great vistas before my favourite – the par 3 12th, another spectacular short hole playing along huge sand dunes lining the beach.

It is 186 yards long and a fine example of Birkdale's spectacular run-offs, with two huge bumps short-left and two pot bunkers to the right.

The ride home begins at the par-4 13th, where Spieth found the dunes up the right before spending 20 minutes deliberating his drop on the driving range.

That shouldn't happen this year, as the practice ground has been relocated and replaced with the spectator village. It plays 502 yards before the arrow-straight and heavily bunkered 602-yard, par-5 14th, which was the 15th in 2017.

Next is Birkdale's brand new par-3 15th, a mammoth 241 yards with a long, elevated green set in front of the huge hospitality area.

The putting surface looks deceptively small from the tee and is well guarded by bunkers to the left and a large run-off area to the right.

The 15th will play as one of the hardest holes on the course and I suspect the Champion Golfer of the Year will make a stoic par on his way to the Claret Jug while his rivals drop shots here.

The run for home

The short 16th, at 393 yards, is one of two par 4s under 400 yards and the first of back-to-back birdie chances.

The dogleg-left par-5 17th, scene of Padraig Harrington's stunning 5-wood to set up eagle in 2008, will see the big-hitters drive over the corner to leave a mid-iron approach in calm conditions.

The thin, multi-tier green that awaits is surrounded by dunes offering up a great vantage point for spectators.

The closing hole is another that has been made harder, with the 508-yarder lengthened by 35 yards and the tee shot tightened with bunkers everywhere.

If the prospective victor needs a par to win and they pull it off, you will have to doff your cap to them.

You may be wondering what I shot. My index is 6.0 and I carded an 11-over 83 from the blues at 6,205 yards. I hit just one fairway but finished par, par, birdie playing the 18th as a 466-yard par 5.

I cannot imagine how difficult the par-70 Royal Birkdale is from the 7,223-yard tips with the rough up, firm and fast conditions, a strong sea breeze and thousands of spectators lining the fairways.

I now have a new perspective on just how good the world's best are.

Shooting under par from the blues on a calm day is unbelievable golf. Shooting under par from the back tees in Open Championship conditions is truly astonishing.

Royal Birkdale is a phenomenal test of golf that is ready to punish poor shots or strategic errors, and reward great play.

It is easy to see why it ranks as one of the country's greatest golf courses and I am sure after 72 holes it will correctly identify the golfer with the best control over their ball and duly reward them with the Claret Jug.

A thrilling climax: Birkdale's final four holes that will decide the 2026 Open

● 15th – par 3, 241 yards

This brand new par 3 could well decide who lifts the Claret Jug. Only a perfectly struck long iron will find the green, which is guarded by two pot bunkers to the left and a large run-off to the right. The exposed green will be even harder to find in a crosswind.

● 16th – par 4, 393 yards

This short par 4 has been reduced from 438 yards and is a fantastic birdie chance. It's just a long iron and a wedge, although missing the green could be costly due to its dramatic run-offs.

● 17th – par 5, 566 yards

Harrington eagled 17 in 2008 to give himself breathing room coming down the 72nd hole, and it could be a decider this year. It's easily reachable in two for the world's best, but its small green is tricky to find. Can someone make eagle to pull clear?

● 18th – par 4, 508 yards

A one-stroke lead on the 72nd tee is not safe. Six bunkers are in play from 250 to 340 yards, with three right and three left. No matter what club you hit, you must avoid the sand. Any less-than-perfect shot that finds a bunker instantly brings bogey into play.