The 2026 Open Championship

Golf was born on the links of Scotland, and The Open Championship — contested every July over links ground somewhere in Britain — is the closest the game has to a direct line back to its origins. Founded in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, it is the oldest major championship in the world by more than half a century. The Claret Jug, awarded to the Champion Golfer of the Year, carries a weight that the other three majors — as great as they are — cannot quite replicate.

In July 2026, the 154th Open Championship comes to Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, Merseyside, England — for the 11th time in the club's history. Competitive play runs July 16–19, 2026, with practice rounds beginning July 12. For those willing to organize the trip properly, this is the most transportive week in golf: links terrain, coastal weather, English July, and the game's oldest trophy at stake.

LXV coordinates hospitality, Lancashire coast accommodations, and optional extensions into the broader British Isles golf circuit. Register your interest below for priority notification.

The Venue: Royal Birkdale Golf Club

Royal Birkdale Golf Club was founded in 1889 in Southport, Lancashire — a coastal town on the northwest coast of England, approximately 20 miles north of Liverpool. The club was granted "Royal" status by King George VI in 1951, and hosted The Open for the first time in 1954. It has since become one of the most respected and frequently used Open venues in the R&A's rotation.

The course is defined by its towering sand dunes — Birkdale's distinctive feature — which funnel the coastal wind in ways that change a hole's character entirely depending on the direction of the breeze. Fairways run between dune ridges, creating natural amphitheaters that are among the finest spectating corridors in major championship golf. The rough is willow scrub: dense, coastal, and unforgiving. The greens are small and fast.

Unlike some links courses that flatten out toward medal tees, Birkdale maintains its visual drama from any vantage point. The dunes are tall enough to orient players and spectators simultaneously, creating a sense of enclosure and exposure that is unique to this part of the Lancashire coast. On a windy Sunday afternoon, there is no more compelling setting in the game.

Past Champions at Royal Birkdale

Royal Birkdale's championship roll includes some of the most iconic names in the history of the game:

• Peter Thomson — 1954, 1965
• Arnold Palmer — 1961
• Lee Trevino — 1971
• Johnny Miller — 1976
• Tom Watson — 1983
• Ian Baker-Finch — 1991
• Mark O'Meara — 1998
• Padraig Harrington — 2008

Palmer's 1961 victory is the most storied — played in conditions so severe that his three-round score of 209 (with a final-round 69) through mud, rain, and wind remains one of the great performances in major championship history. Arnold Palmer at Birkdale in the wind is the image the course carries into every subsequent championship.

Course Changes for 2026

For the 2026 championship, Royal Birkdale has undertaken the most significant set of course changes in recent memory. Architects Mackenzie & Ebert, the firm responsible for several celebrated links restorations and redesigns across the British Isles, have designed a new par 3 on the 15th hole — replacing the previous configuration with a fresh test that takes fuller advantage of the dune topography. The 5th, 7th, and 14th holes have also been redesigned, tightening approach corridors and repositioning bunkering.

The result is a championship course that will feel genuinely different from 2008, and will require players and caddies who have studied the course in previous iterations to recalibrate. That kind of uncertainty — from even the most experienced players in the field — is part of what makes the first Open at a redesigned venue so compelling to watch.

The Championship

Format and Field

The Open uses 72-hole stroke play with a field of 156 players. The cut is made after 36 holes to the low 70 scorers and ties. The Claret Jug — formally the Golf Champion Trophy — is presented to the Champion Golfer of the Year in a ceremony on the 18th green that, along with the Masters, constitutes the most watched moment in the game's annual calendar.

Qualification is a global process: past champions, world ranking qualifiers, leading finishers from the previous year's major championships, and regional qualifying competitions from across the world. The field is as international as any event in golf — reflecting the fact that The Open, unlike the three American majors, was never conceived as a national championship.

Schedule

Hospitality at The Open

The R&A's hospitality program at Royal Birkdale is organized across three tiers, each offering a materially different experience:

• Platinum — The flagship tier, centered on the exclusive Platinum Lounge within the Dunes House and The Retreat, positioned by the 7th green. Platinum guests receive priority entry to the course, access to player Q&A sessions, fast-track access to The Open Shop, and dedicated parking. This is the most intimate and access-rich hospitality available.
• Premium — Elevated food and beverage experience with reserved areas and enhanced service, positioned for strong viewing across multiple competitive holes.
• Standard — The entry-level hospitality tier, offering dedicated dining and beverage areas with grounds credentials for all competitive rounds.

All hospitality tiers include grounds access. The distinction is in the quality of the facilities, the proximity to players, and the level of ancillary programming — player appearances, collector experiences, merchandise access. For the LXV member seeking the most complete Open experience, Platinum is the appropriate tier, and allocation at that level is limited.

The Lancashire Golf Belt and Beyond

Southport sits in one of the densest concentrations of links golf in the world. Within a 30-mile radius of Royal Birkdale: Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), scene of the 2006 and 2014 Opens; Royal Lytham & St Annes, a nine-time Open venue; and Formby Golf Club, one of the finest private courses in the north of England. Liverpool — 20 miles south — is a serious food and culture destination in its own right.

For those prepared to extend the trip, Scotland lies a few hours north by road or rail: Carnoustie, Muirfield, Royal Troon, and the home of golf at St Andrews are all within reach of a week-long journey built around the championship. Ireland — with Royal County Down, Ballybunion, and Lahinch — is a short flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

LXV designs these extended itineraries as part of the core Open Championship package. The event is the anchor; the trip is the experience.