The Open: Royal Birkdale all you need to know

The 154th Open Championship is being held at Royal Birkdale, in Merseyside.

Since first hosting the golf championship began in 1954, Royal Birkdale has become the competition’s most regular venue, outside of St Andrews.

Now 72 years later, hundreds of thousands of spectators will arrive in Southport as the tournament returns to the club from 12 to 19 July, with competitors including former champions such as Rory McIlroy, Brian Harman, Shane Lowry and David Duval.

As Birkdale hosts golf’s biggest tournament, here is all you need to know about the championship.

Where is Royal Birkdale?

Established in 1889 and given its ‘Royal’ status in 1951, Royal Birkdale is located on the North West coast in Southport.

The club has hosted 10 Open Championships -the last of which was in 2017 – and has also hosted six Women’s Opens, and Ryder Cups.

Transport options

There will be no public car parking available at Royal Birkdale or in the immediate surrounding areas of Hillside or Birkdale – with the exception of pre-booked Blue Badge parking.

Fans attending the tournament are advised by the organisers to travel on public transport or to car share, to avoid congestion.

And those staying in the local area have been encouraged to consider travelling by foot or on bike.

There will be public parking available at park and ride sites.

More information on travelling to the venue is available on the travel planner on The Open website.

Mersey Travel has said there will be rail and bus options available for those travelling to the club.

More details on these services can be found on the Mersey Travel website.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said it expected services to be “extremely busy” during the tournament and has asked spectators to allow extra time for their journeys.

“With services expected to be extremely busy, it’s important that spectators plan ahead, check routes and allow extra time for their journeys,” Cllr Steve Foulkes has said.

“We want everyone to enjoy their visit, so we’d also ask people to be patient, follow travel guidance and be respectful of fellow passengers and the staff working hard to support this major event.”

Travelling by train

Hillside station is on the Merseyrail Southport line and is the closest train station to the course – around a five minute walk along Waterloo Road.

The train journey from Southport to Hillside takes around five minutes.

And from Liverpool Central to Hillside, the journey takes around 45 minutes.

Merseyrail has said it is increasing its services for The Open, with travellers advised to check their live schedule for more details on services.

Road closures

Temporary traffic regulations order have been enforced in Hillside and Birkdale for the duration of the championship. These measures have been put in place by Sefton Council and will be enforced by Merseyside Police.

According to Sefton Council, residents and businesses affected by these measures will have been contacted in advance.

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