Sport: Golf Country: England Category: Scores & Results

Royal Birkdale Golf Club prepares for significant changes ahead of British Open

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 10, 2026, 10:55 AM

Last updated Jul 10, 2026

Royal Birkdale Golf Club prepares for significant changes ahead of British Open

Summary

The British Open will return to Royal Birkdale Golf Club this month, marking the 11th time the venue has hosted the championship since 1954. Since the last Open in 2017, significant alterations have been made to the course under the supervision of Tom Mackenzie. These changes include the reworking of portions of every hole, construction of new tee complexes, the repositioning and rebuilding of bunkers, and the introduction of new holes to enhance strategy and drainage. Royal Birkdale has a long history of evolving to meet the demands of major tournaments and continues to be a challenging venue for players.

Source Links

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By the Numbers

•Royal Birkdale last hosted The Open in 2017.
•Tom Mackenzie oversaw the course's most significant alterations to date.
•New tee complexes and strategic bunkers have been added.
•Several holes have been remodeled to enhance gameplay.
•The Open has been played at Royal Birkdale since 1954.

Latest Updates

10:55 AMYahoo Sports — British Open 2026: 5 ways Royal Birkdale has changed since its last Open

What they're saying

"
Royal Birkdale has always evolved through the years—and it underwent impactful modifications since the 2017 Open Championship (including where Spieth's drop came from)
— Yahoo Sports

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