ROYAL BIRKDALE GOLF CLUB Course Review
Since the Golf Monthly course rankings were launched in 2004, no English course has ever held a higher position than the classic and extremely fair links at Royal Birkdale.
Originally designed in the late 1890s by George Lowe, the course was elevated to championship quality and status in the 1920s by FG Hawtree and JH Taylor. They had the philosophy of running holes though the dunes rather than over them, the result being a much more honest and equitable test.
The green on the par-4 second hole
(Image credit: David Cannon/Getty Images)
The club was granted royal status in 1951, and then selected to host its first Open Championship in 1954. It has now staged the tournament ten times, most recently resulting in Jordan Spieth’s epic victory in 2017.
Although the holes play along reasonably level ground between the sand, the course is blessed with some of the most impressive, towering dunes in the country, making it not only one of the best golf courses in England but also one of the best links courses in the UK. The dunes frame the holes beautifully for the golfer, and at times of important championships serve as perfect viewing points for spectators.
(Image credit: David Cannon/Getty Images)
As if to announce its intent, this outstanding links opens with one of the most challenging par 4s on the Open roster. Following this, you constantly twist and turn with few consecutive holes playing in the same direction. With wind a key defence, this means a rethink on just about every tee.
The four short holes are all strong and interesting with perhaps the standout being the 12th which is played to a steep-fronted green set in an amphitheatre of dunes.
The dogleg-left par-4 10th hole
(Image credit: David Cannon/Getty Images)
The closing hole plays back towards the iconic, white art deco clubhouse. It is a manageable par 5 when played from the regular tees, but a substantially tougher par 4 when played from the slightly longer championship tees. This is undoubtedly a very worthy closing hole for those in contention for the Claret Jug.
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