How Much Does It Cost To Play Royal Birkdale?

A general view of the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale as the sun sets behind the clubhouse — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Open Championship is taking place at Royal Birkdale for the 11th time ever in 2026, having first staged the historic Major as recently as 1954.

Since then, all of the game's greats have walked these fairways and many have won here - including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Laura Davies.

It remains one of the most breath-taking layouts anywhere in the British Isles and currently ranks sixth in Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar, consequently making it the best golf course in England in our view.

The Southport links 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.

In the years that followed, it has welcomed a decade of Open Championships, six Women's British Open Championships and two Ryder Cups.

Royal Birkdale is renowned for its towering dunes and has witnessed many memorable moments through the years, most recently in 2017 when Jordan Spieth lifted the Claret Jug.

And as we all watch on in 2026, many people will begin to dream of teeing it up there one day and playing their own miracle shot.

The good news is, you can. As with all Open Championship venues, Royal Birkdale accepts green fee-paying visitors. The bad news is, there are a couple of key caveats.

One being the course is closed from November through to the end of February. The second being it is only possible to play as a visitor on select Mondays and Thursdays for the remainder of 2026 at least.

Yet, at the time of writing, there are a number of different days still available, including on Wednesday, July 29th.

On that day, the golf club is hosting a 'Birkdale Open Experience' where golfers can experience 18 holes just as those in the year's final Major would have days earlier.

As well as full round, a meet and greet, a gift from a professional, a photo with the replica Claret Jug and a two-course bistro is also included in the package.

Tee times range from 10:20am BST through to 2pm, and the day will cost you £565 (approx. $756) per person.

Alternatively, a regular tee time on the few remaining days left open for visitors at Royal Birkdale in 2026 will cost you £495 ($663).

18th green and clubhouse at Open Championship 2026 venue Royal Birkdale

The price during March and April in 2026 was £450 ($602), but Royal Birkdale has not yet published any tee times for 2027 at this stage.

Just four years ago, the highest rate at Royal Birkdale was £300 ($402) for a tee time and it was T9th among the 20 most expensive green fees in the UK and Ireland.

While it is certainly nowhere near first place in 2026, which belongs to Trump Turnberry and its £1,000 maximum green fee, Royal Birkdale remains one of the priciest tee times around.

Still, if you're playing an Open Championship layout and it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, maybe you can save up and enjoy that dream day out?

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time.