The Fascinating Story Behind Royal Birkdale's Iconic Art Deco Clubhouse

Royal Birkdale’s clubhouse will provide the backdrop to what is one of the greatest scenes in sport this weekend, as one player prevails above the rest to get their hands on the Claret Jug.

While the best golfers in the world battling it out for The Open will rightly take the headlines, the story behind Birkdale’s iconic clubhouse is one that will deserve whatever level of coverage it gets through the week.

As soon as you lay eyes on it, it stands out. For one, it’s white, and for another, it is an unusual ship-like shape. Why, then, does it look the way it does?

Well, it’s because the chance to design Birkdale’s clubhouse was actually put up as a prestigious competition prize almost 100 years ago.

That competition was won by local architect, George E. Tonge, and his vision for the clubhouse came to life in 1935.

Detailing the thought process behind his design choices, in quotes from the official Royal Birkdale website, Tonge said, “I visualised the kind of clubhouse that I thought ought to intrude itself onto this lovely course.

"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.”

The result is an eye-catching and grand Art Deco building that adds another elegant touch to Birkdale as an Open venue.

Art Deco features sleek, clean lines and bold geometric shapes. It was very popular in the 1920s and 1930s, with Tonge's Birkdale design in the Streamline Moderne style.

Tonge has another Art Deco building local to Southport in his portfolio. On the site where the old Opera House had burned down in 1929, he designed the Garrick Theatre, which opened in December 1932 and seated 1,600 people.

It was turned into a bingo hall in the 1960s and was given listed status in 1999, with plans now in place to turn it into a hotel.

While not the typical design choice for a clubhouse, it is not wholly unique. As well as Birkdale, Cabot Highlands, formerly known as Castle Stuart, in Inverness and Hayling Golf Club on England’s south coast feature an Art Deco clubhouse.

All of the game's greats have stepped foot inside Birkdale's clubhouse and wandered its corridors that feature some amazing portraits and memorabilia from years gone by.

It also provides a superb view of the 18th green for its lucky members, one that will be extra special this week.

The club gained its Royal status in 1951 and has hosted numerous prestigious events.

Among them, six Women’s Opens have taken place over the links, as have two Ryder Cups, one Senior Open and four British Amateur Championships.

But it is for The Open that Birkdale is most known.

As the club prepares to host the game's oldest championship for an 11th time, another chapter will be written into the club's history in the coming days, and with the course already baked out and more sun on the forecast, it promises to be an absolute classic on one of the finest links layouts in the world.