Royal Birkdale will be a classic, demanding links test for the 2026 Open Championship, with a fast bouncy course expected. Here’s a full hole-by-hole look at how the course will play.
The R&A have set Royal Birkdale up as a par‑70 around 7,223 yards for The 154th Open, barely longer than in the 1960s but slightly up from the 7,156 yards used in 2017.
That was the last time Royal Birkdale hosted The Open when Jordan Spieth, but there have been a number of changes made in the nine years since.
Mackenzie & Ebert’s recent work for 2026 includes a completely redesigned 5th, a shorter, raised par‑3 7th, and a new par‑3 15th inserted between the old 15th and 16th.
That has allowed the former par‑5 15th to become a lengthened par‑5 14th hole for this year.
2026 The Open Hole-by-Hole Guide to Royal Birkdale
Here is a full hole‑by‑hole guide to Royal Birkdale for the 2026 The Open and the test that awaits the leading The Open contenders.
Hole 1 – Par 4, 447 yards
Royal Birkdale’s opener is a wonderful scene‑setter, a demanding par 4 framed by dunes and thick rough with out of bounds running tight down the right.
The tee shot is played from an elevated tee into a narrow fairway, with the prevailing wind often pushing the ball left‑to‑right toward trouble.
Many players will take less than driver, aiming up the centre or slightly left to keep the ball on the camber and avoid being blocked by the right‑hand dune and rough.
The approach is to a raised green where anything short can kick on, but chips and putts from short of the surface tend to run a little farther beyond the hole than expected on firm links turf.
Hole 2 – Par 4, 419 yards
The second continues the tough start with another par 4 that favours a tee shot down the right side for the best angle in.
Two fairway bunkers on the right are a good line but can be reached, so players may choose to lay up a little short rather than force driver into the wind.
From there, a medium‑iron approach plays into a green with a ridge on the left side that throws balls to the right, creating tricky pin positions and demanding precise distance control.
Anything failing to carry the front edge can catch sand short‑right or short‑left, so most will favour the heart of the green early in the round.
Hole 3 – Par 4, 450 yards
The third epitomises Royal Birkdale: a classic driving hole played between tall dunes from an elevated tee.
The ideal line is down the left side to gain a clear view of the green, but two bunkers on that side gather balls from a long way and punish any over‑aggression.
Drives that drift right can be obscured by the dune and rough, leaving a semi‑blind approach to a long, narrow green.
A front‑right bunker, tucked out of view from some angles, catches many shots that are a little short or under‑clubbed, so selecting enough club to reach the correct segment of this extended putting surface is vital.
Hole 4 – Par 3, 183 yards
The first short hole is a mid‑iron par 3 set into the dunes and fully protected by bunkers on almost all sides.
The target is reasonably large, but subtle internal contours and several challenging pin positions -especially back‑right – make it far from straightforward.
Wind plays a huge part here, with cross‑breezes complicating club selection and making it easy to miss into sand or the shaved banks.
Finding the centre of the green and accepting two putts will be the default strategy for most players, particularly early in the championship.
Hole 5 – Par 4, 347 yards
The fifth is a short, dogleg‑left par 4 that has been fully reimagined for 2026, emphasising risk‑reward.
Often played into the prevailing wind, it invites a lay‑up tee shot to leave 100–120 yards in, but that second shot can be very tricky from tight links fairway turf where extra backspin balloons the ball into the breeze.
Players may opt for a small chipped‑down club – like a seven‑iron – to keep trajectory under control, especially to a back pin which is notoriously difficult to access.
In perfect, downwind conditions, it is a possible drivable par 4, but the new bunkering and green surrounds ensure that any miss brings bogey or worse very much into play.
Hole 6 – Par 4, 499 yards
The sixth is a big par 4 and one of the sternest tests on the outward nine. From the tee, players have three options: lay up short of the central fairway bunker, play left of it into a narrower corridor, or take on a 285‑yard carry over the hazard.
Successfully carrying the bunker rewards players with a clearer view and a medium‑iron into the green; failing brings sand and awkward lies into the equation.
The green slopes back‑to‑front and, with the prevailing wind behind, any approach that finishes above the hole leaves a very fast, swinging putt that can easily run three or four feet past.
Hole 7 – Par 3, 165 yards
For 2026, the seventh has been reconfigured into a shorter par 3 featuring a raised green and adjusted bunkering.
The hole still plays across a dip and is set within the dune system, but the new green complex is more elevated, with bunkers tightly framing the front and sides.
With the wind often quartering across and the target playing slightly uphill, club selection and trajectory control will be key; balls landing on the edges can easily roll back into sand or shaved run‑offs.
This new seventh will give organisers plenty of scope for devilish pins on the final day, turning a mid‑iron into a card‑wrecker for anyone who mis‑judges the breeze.
Hole 8 – Par 4, 393 yards
The eighth is a slightly shorter par 4 where many players will be thinking birdie but still must respect the hazards.
The fairway funnels between dunes with bunkers pinching the landing zone, so accuracy off the tee remains important despite the reduced yardage.
From there, a short iron or wedge must find a green that, like many at Birkdale, sheds shots off its shoulders into bunkers and tight surrounds.
Creative short‑game play will be crucial here; those who keep the ball pin‑high on the correct side will have real chances to pick up a shot before turning toward the ninth.
Hole 9 – Par 4, 414 yards
The ninth closes out the front nine with a par 4 that plays back toward the iconic clubhouse. The drive is semi‑blind in places, with dunes flanking both sides and bunkers waiting to catch anything slightly offline.
A solid tee shot leaves a mid‑iron into a green that sits in a natural amphitheatre of dunes and rough, with sand short‑right and short‑left ready to punish weak approaches.
Finishing the outward half with a par here will feel satisfying in any kind of wind, and it sets up a back nine that often decides the Claret Jug.
Hole 10 – Par 4, 402 yards
Ten is a mid‑length par 4 that begins the inward half with a hole that looks inviting but still bites. The fairway lies between banks of rough and sand, and the ideal tee shot finds the flattest portion to avoid awkward, hanging lies.
The approach plays into a green with subtle internal movement and surrounding bunkers, making it easy to leave approach putts on tricky slopes or short‑sided pitches.
With the back nine’s toughest stretch ahead, many contenders will aim for centre‑green and two‑putt safety.
Hole 11 – Par 4, 436 yards
Eleven is another strong par 4 threading between dunes and thick rough. The tee shot demands a committed line to avoid fairway bunkers and native areas; anything timid can find sand or leave a long, blind second.
From the fairway, players face a mid‑to‑long‑iron into a green that slopes and tilts away from certain pin positions, making distance control and spin crucial.
It’s a hole where the Open could punish any loss of focus, and bogey will be far more common than birdie through the week.
Hole 12 – Par 3, 201 yards
The 12th is a wonderful short hole, highly regarded and often included in composite “best of the Open rota” discussions.
At a little over 200 yards, it plays into a classic Birkdale green set into the dunes, surrounded by deep bunkers and tightly mown banks.
In firm conditions with a breeze off the right, it becomes an extremely tough shot, as anything under‑clubbed or leaking right can find sand or roll down the slopes.
Pins tucked in the back corners will test nerves and precision, making three here an excellent score for much of the field.
Hole 13 – Par 4, 433 yards
Thirteen starts what some locals call the “third loop” of holes, where scoring swings intensify. This par 4 plays between dunes with fairway bunkers dictating the preferred line, and the prevailing wind can make the landing area feel very tight.
A solid drive leaves a mid‑iron into a green that sits slightly raised, with bunkers short and to the sides punishing any tentative approach.
With birdie chances to come at 14 and perhaps 15, many players will treat 13 as a hole where par keeps the momentum going.
Hole 14 – Par 5, 560 yards
The former par‑5 15th is now the new 14th, lengthened by around 40 yards and forming the first of two closing par‑5s in the final four holes.
It’s a classic, rumpled links par 5 that winds through dunes and offers multiple strategic options: long hitters may consider reaching in two with a strong following wind, while most will lay up to favoured wedge distances.
A series of bunkers tighten both lay‑up areas and the approach, and firm ground can send balls careering into trouble if players mis‑judge their landing spots.
As the tournament reaches its climax, 14 will present both eagle chances and ruinous sixes for those who push too hard.
Hole 15 – Par 3, 170 yards
Between the old 15th and 16th sits the new par‑3 15th, inserted for the 2026 Open as part of the Mackenzie & Ebert revisions.
This new short hole plays to a raised green, tightly framed by dunes and re‑positioned bunkers that make the target look small from the tee.
With changeable winds and firm surfaces, players will struggle to dial in distance, and anything missing long or wide can leave a very awkward up‑and‑down from sand or shaved banks.
It’s the kind of late‑round par 3 that can swing the championship in a single swing, particularly on Sunday afternoon.
Hole 16 – Par 4, 438 yards
Sixteen is a serious par 4 in the closing stretch, playing through one of Birkdale’s most dramatic dune corridors.
The tee shot threads between banks of rough and sand, with fairway bunkers ready to catch drives that are only slightly off‑line.
Approaches must carry bunkers short of the green and find a putting surface that tilts and runs, making it difficult to get close to back or side pins.
With the finishing two par 4s still to play, par on 16 will feel like a momentum saver for anyone in contention.
Hole 17 – Par 4, 427 yards
The penultimate hole is another dogleg‑style par 4 that demands accuracy with both tee shot and approach.
The drive must avoid fairway bunkers and rough that encroach on the ideal landing zone, and the prevailing wind can make the fairway feel narrower than it looks.
From there, players face a mid‑iron into a green partially shrouded by dunes and bunkers, where missing on the wrong side creates extremely testing chips.
Scores can swing here as contenders try to balance aggression with caution heading into the last.
Hole 18 – Par 4, 473 yards
Royal Birkdale’s closing hole is a big, uphill par 4 that plays back toward the imposing clubhouse and grandstands.
The tee shot is played into a fairway flanked by dunes and rough, with bunkers positioned to catch drives that drift or are over‑aggressive in search of a shorter second.
The approach is then a long iron or hybrid into a green complex set in a natural amphitheatre, where pin positions can be tucked near bunkers or on subtle slopes to maximise drama.
Under Open Sunday pressure, 18 at Royal Birkdale has the potential to deliver heroic birdies, agonising bogeys and unforgettable Claret Jug moments.
James is an avid golfer and reviews golf equipment and new gear for GolfReviewsGuide.com as well as providing the latest golf news. You will find him on a golf course wherever possible.