Major revamp of Royal Birkdale nears final stages as Open tournament looms

Extensive works to revamp Royal Birkdale golf course are nearing completion in time for the prestigious venue to host the 2026 Open.

The second stage of Works revolve around a huge redesign of the course including the creation of new holes

All work is set to be finished and grown in for the club to host the Open in 2026.

The redesign includes changes to the fifth and seventh holes, the removal of the existing fourteenth hole, the alteration of the existing par-five fifteenth to become the new fourteenth hole, and a completely new par-three fifteenth hole.

“At its core, Royal Birkdale remains a members’ club, and the recent changes were driven by the members themselves,” said architect Tom Mackenzie in a statement.

“The club created a detailed and well-considered brief of the aspects that they wished us to consider, which is what directed the design study.

“We began our work as we always do with a thorough historical research study that highlighted how much the bunker style had altered over the decades from huge, ornate bunkers to small revetted pot bunkers.

“It also showed that the current twelfth hole was built in the 1960s to replace the par-three seventeenth, which was abandoned because it made hosting the major championships so difficult.