Playing Hillside While Birkdale Hosts The Open: What to Expect

Royal Birkdale is closed to visitors from early July while it is prepared for and then hosts The Open Championship. Hillside Golf Club is on the boundary of the Birkdale estate, directly adjacent, and it is open to visitors this week. Playing Hillside while The Open is happening a few hundred metres away is a specific experience worth knowing about.

The Atmosphere

The Open changes the atmosphere around Hillside even though Hillside is not hosting the championship. The area around the Birkdale corridor is busier. There are spectators, officials, and golf visitors in the area. Playing Hillside this week has a different energy to playing it in May. The sense of occasion carries over from the course next door.

From certain parts of the Hillside course you can hear the crowd reaction from Birkdale when something significant happens. That is not a distraction. It is part of what makes this specific week unusual.

Tee Time Availability

Hillside has limited visitor tee time availability this week. Demand is higher than at any other point in the year because golf visitors who cannot get on Birkdale are looking for the next best option. If you want to play Hillside this week and have not booked, call the club directly. Some slots may still be available at less popular times.

Early morning weekday tee times are your best bet. The mid-morning and afternoon slots fill first with visitors combining a round with attendance at The Open. A 7am or 7:30am tee time at Hillside on a Tuesday or Wednesday of Open week is achievable and arguably the best golf experience on the Sefton Coast right now.

Course Conditions

Hillside in mid-July is in peak condition. The fairways are firm, the greens are fast, and the course is playing at its most challenging. This is Hillside as it is designed to be played. The combination of Open week atmosphere and peak summer conditions makes this week genuinely special as a visitor golf experience.

Getting There

Hillside Golf Club is on Hastings Road, Southport, PR8 2LU. Parking is at the club. Given the road closures around Royal Birkdale this week, approach Hillside via the roads to the east of the Birkdale estate rather than attempting to come through Waterloo Road. The club can advise on the current best approach if you call ahead.