Golf in Southport July 2026: Tee Times, Green Fees and What Is Actually Available

July 2026 is not a normal month on the Sefton Coast. The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale runs from 12 to 19 July and the knock-on effect on green fee availability and pricing across all the courses is significant. Here is what you need to know if you are planning to play golf here this month.

Royal Birkdale

Visitor access to Royal Birkdale is limited at the best of times. During Open week, it is closed to visitors entirely. The course is given over to the championship from early July for preparation. If you have not already booked a visitor round at Birkdale for 2026, that window has closed.

Practice round tickets for The Open (12 to 14 July) give you access to watch on the course and are still available via theopen.com. That is the realistic Birkdale option for July 2026.

Hillside Golf Club

Hillside is directly adjacent to Royal Birkdale and shares its coastal character. July is the most in-demand month for visitor rounds here and Open week adds a further premium. Availability is limited but it exists. Expect to pay significantly more than you would in spring.

If you are building a golf trip around The Open and want to play the best course alternative, Hillside is the one. Book directly with the club well in advance.

Southport and Ainsdale

Southport and Ainsdale is more accessible in July than Hillside. It hosted the Ryder Cup twice and is a proper championship links. The course is in excellent condition in summer and July green fees, while more expensive than shoulder months, remain reasonable compared to Hillside.

It is a different character to Birkdale and Hillside: more undulating, a different dune landscape, some of the most distinctive holes on the Sefton Coast. Worth playing on its own terms.

Formby Golf Club

Twenty minutes south of Birkdale village, away from the Open buzz entirely. Formby Golf Club accepts visitors throughout July. The course is in excellent summer condition and the welcome is genuine.

If you want quality golf without Open week pressure, Formby is the answer. Different in character to the dune courses: more tree-lined, a different challenge, and the clubhouse lunch is worth staying for.

West Lancashire Golf Club

West Lancashire is at Blundellsands, about six miles south of Birkdale. The nearest Merseyrail station is Hall Road. The most elemental of the five main Sefton courses. Fewer visitors in July than the Birkdale corridor courses, good availability, and the course plays harder in the wind than anything else on this coast.

Green Fees in July

Expect July rates to be 20 to 30 percent higher than spring at most courses. Open week adds a further premium at Hillside specifically. Budget accordingly and book directly rather than hoping availability improves as the month approaches. It will not.

• →Hillside: premium July rates, limited availability, book now
• →Southport and Ainsdale: competitive July rates, better availability than Hillside
• →Formby: good value for the quality, away from Open week demand
• →West Lancashire: most accessible July availability of the top courses

Where to Stay

Southport town centre or Birkdale village puts you within 15 to 20 minutes of all five courses. Birkdale village is the best base if you are combining golf with attending The Open: walking distance to the course entrance, own restaurants and pubs, and a different feel to the town centre.