It’s hosted golf’s oldest major more times than any other course outside Scotland, but can you get a tee time? Here’s everything you need to know about how to play Royal Birkdale…
If you’ve punched “how to play Royal Birkdale” into Google and ended up here – well you’re in the right place.
Arnold Palmer, Peter Thomson, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Jordan Spieth are among the famous names to have lifted the Claret Jug on this jewel along England’s spectacular North West coastline, and 156 names will be looking to join them on the Open honors board of this grand old clubhouse.
The chance to walk the same footsteps as these greats, as well as testing yourself on the quintessential links layout which winds through magnificent dunes, makes Royal Birkdale one of the most desirable courses to play anywhere in the world – and this year it’s even better, thanks to the number of significant changes made by revered architect Tom Mackenzie.
Such demand, of course, means that a tee time here comes at a premium. But first…
When can you play Royal Birkdale?
Visitors are allowed on to the course on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Royal Birkdale is closed to visitors until July 26 for the 154th Open Championship, and will close to non-members from November 1 before reopening on March 1, 2027.
How much does it cost to play Royal Birkdale?
Here are the visitor green fees at Royal Birkdale for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.
July-October 2026: £495 ($675)
November 2026-February 2027: Course closed to visitors
April 2027: £450 ($600)
May-October 2027: £495 ($675)
November-December 2027: Course closed to visitors
Until the end of September, Wednesdays are exclusively reserved for the club’s ‘Birkdale Open Experience’ package.
This includes a ‘Meet and Greet’, a special gift pack from a professional, a picture with a replica Claret Jug, 18 holes of golf, and a two course bistro meal. This will cost £565 ($750) per person.
How do you book a tee time at Royal Birkdale?
Tee times can be booked on Royal Birkdale’s official website.
How much is a Royal Birkdale membership?
Thinking about going one step further and actually joining Royal Birkdale?
Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
The good news is that, while the exact amount isn’t made public, it’s not nearly as expensive as you might think, with the joining fee believed to be around £6,000 ($8,000) and annual subscriptions coming in at just north of $2,000 ($2,700).
The bad news, though, is that you’ve very little chance of getting in. The membership is currently full, and there is no waiting list, so you need the backing of at least two existing members – though the more you can get the better, of course.
And then there’s a lengthy vetting process, which sees you play a rounds with various members, who will be evaluating you on a number of things – all with the end goal of trying to work out whether or not you would make a sound Royal Birkdale member. No pressure, then.