Building a Sefton Coast Golf Trip Around The Open 2026

A lot of people coming for The Open in July will have a day or two either side of their championship tickets. That's an opportunity most of them won't fully use. The Sefton Coast has six championship links courses within ten miles of Royal Birkdale. You came all this way. Play some of them.

I live here and play here regularly. Here's how I'd structure a trip if I were coming from outside and wanted to combine The Open with playing the courses.

The basic framework

Most people coming for The Open will be here for four to seven days. Championship tickets tend to be for one or two specific days, leaving the rest of the trip free. The structure I'd suggest: arrive Saturday or Sunday before the championship (13-19 July), play golf Sunday and Monday, get your Open days in Tuesday through Sunday, play more golf in any gaps.

Course 1: Hillside (play this first)

Hillside is my first recommendation for anyone on a Sefton Coast trip. Green fees are £150-£185. The course runs through the same dune system as Royal Birkdale, next-door essentially, and the quality is outstanding. It's the best value championship links on the coast for a visitor who wants Birkdale-standard golf at a more manageable price.

Play Hillside before The Open. You'll understand the terrain, the wind patterns, and what championship links golf on this stretch of coast actually requires. It'll make watching The Open more interesting.

Course 2: Southport and Ainsdale (the honest value pick)

Green fees: £65-£100 including a meal. S&A hosted the Ryder Cup in 1933 and 1937. Most visitors don't know that. The course is genuine championship links, the condition is consistently good, visitor access is excellent, and the 16th hole is as good as anything on the coast at any price.

If budget is a factor or you want a second course day, S&A is the choice. You won't feel like you've compromised.

Course 3: West Lancashire (if you want a proper test)

Green fees: £80-£130. West Lancs sits right on the Irish Sea. More exposed than any other course on the coast. The rough is proper rough. The wind is relentless. It's the least manicured, most elemental links experience on the Sefton Coast, and some golfers find it the most memorable for exactly that reason.

Don't start with West Lancs if you're not used to links golf. Play it third if at all, once your body and brain have adjusted to links conditions. You'll enjoy it more.

Where to stay for a golf-plus-Open trip

The Bold Hotel in Birkdale is the ideal base: close to the course, good bar, walking distance from the Hillside first tee. It's fully booked for Open week but might have availability for pre-tournament days. Southport town centre hotels put you 15 minutes from everything. Formby is 20 minutes south and a quieter option if Southport is sold out.

The honest summary

Three days of golf plus two championship days is a very good week. Hillside plus S&A plus The Open is a manageable spend for what you're getting. Add West Lancs if you want a fifth day and a genuine test. Fit it around your Open tickets and don't try to play golf on Open days. The course access and logistics make that impractical.