The Open Championship 2026 — Royal Birkdale and the Hawtree Family Legacy
Golf's oldest major returns to Royal Birkdale this week, July 16–19, 2026, for the 154th Open Championship. But beyond the world's best players competing for the Claret Jug, there's a remarkable architecture story hiding in plain sight — three generations of a single family who shaped one of golf's greatest venues.
The Hawtree Family — Three Generations, One Course
Three generations of the Hawtree design firm, the oldest golf architecture firm in the world, are responsible for Royal Birkdale. Golf Advisor
It started in the 1930s. After being granted a new 99-year lease on their land by the Southport Corporation in 1931, Royal Birkdale commissioned architect Fred Hawtree for a complete overhaul of the club's original links. Working alongside five-time Open champion J.H. Taylor, Hawtree made a decision that defined the course forever — he routed the holes in the natural valleys between the hills rather than playing up and over them. The result is a course that's almost devoid of blind shots, with everything laid out in front of the golfer from tee to green. Sports TouristSports Tourist
That philosophy — fairness through clarity — is why Royal Birkdale is consistently voted the professionals' favorite Open venue.
Thirty years later, son Fred W. remodeled it, adding the now-classic par-3 12th. Forty years after that, grandson Martin revised the course for its 10th Open Championship — the tournament Jordan Spieth won in 2017. Golf Advisor
For 2026, the curatorship passed to Tom Mackenzie of the firm Mackenzie & Ebert, who undertook the most significant alterations yet — new tee complexes, repositioned bunkers restored to their rough-edged 1934 appearance, and entirely new holes including a new par-3 15th replacing the old 14th.
What Makes Royal Birkdale Special
The Hawtrees' core principle — routing through the valleys rather than over the dunes — gives Birkdale a character unlike any other Open venue. Fairways sit below the towering sand hills, meaning players always see their target. Wind, not terrain, is the great equalizer here.
Form on firm, fast ground and the ability to control trajectory tend to matter more here than raw distance, which is why The Open often produces surprise contenders alongside the favourites. Premier Golf
Past champions at Birkdale include Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Padraig Harrington and Jordan Spieth — a who's who of players who could shape the ball both ways and think their way around a course.
The Golden Age of Golf Architecture
The Hawtrees represent something rare in golf — a design philosophy passed down through family across nearly a century. Frederick G., Fred W., and Martin each left their mark without erasing what came before. The 2026 version of Royal Birkdale is a living document of that continuity.
It's the same spirit that drives the golden age architects whose work fills the WolfMore Golf course library — Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast, Alister MacKenzie, Seth Raynor — designers who believed that great golf holes work with the land, not against it.
Play the Courses That Inspired The Open
WolfMore Golf includes 550+ courses sortable by architect — from golden age legends to modern masters. Whether you're playing a links-inspired layout near home or dreaming of standing on the first tee at Birkdale yourself, WolfMore tracks every Wolf call, Nassau press, and Skins payout automatically.
Download free on the App Store and bring the same competitive spirit to your home course that the world's best bring to Royal Birkdale this week.
[Download WolfMore Golf — Free on the App Store]
The Architects at a Glance
Frederick G. Hawtree (1931–34) — Reworked the original 1889 layout with 1954 Open champion-to-be venue in mind, routing holes through the dune valleys rather than over them alongside five-time Open champ J.H. Taylor.
Fred W. Hawtree (1960s) — Added the par-3 12th after the original 17th was scrapped for creating spectator bottlenecks.
Martin Hawtree (2000s) — Rebuilt and extended the 17th green before the 2008 Open, adding dramatic step-up contouring into a dune amphitheater.
Tom Mackenzie, Mackenzie & Ebert (2024–26) — Reworked every hole for the 154th Open: new tee complexes, bunkers restored to a rougher-edged 1934 look, a rebuilt short par-4 5th, and an entirely new 241-yard par-3 15th replacing the old 14th. Mackenzie rebuilt and relocated bunkers for strategic and drainage purposes, in many cases recapturing their rough-edged 1934 appearance, and reshaped green surrounds. Golf Digest
George E. Tonge (1935) — Not a course architect but the clubhouse architect worth mentioning: his Art Deco design was meant to visually anchor the property, and it's now as iconic as the golf itself.
How to Play Royal Birkdale
Trust what you see. The holes stream through valleys between the dunes rather than over them, so there's very little quirk, blind play, or random bounce compared to other Open venues. Good execution is rewarded; bad luck rarely decides the round. Australian Golf Digest
Prioritize accuracy over raw power. The course places a premium on quality ball-striking, smart course management, and patience rather than distance alone. Today's Golfer
Respect the pot bunkers. Expect small, sunken pot bunkers that can swallow a ball and force a sideways pitch-out, often from an awkward stance. Golf Advisor
Save your aggression for the closing par 5s. The 14th and 17th are Birkdale's only par 5s and have historically played as the easiest holes on the course, so no lead feels safe until those are in the rearview. Golf Digest
Study the new 15th before you get there. The rebuilt one-shot holes now play to more varied yardages — 219, 151, 186, and 241 — with the new 15th's green falling front to back and punishing anything missed right. Golf Digest
Finish with your head, not your ego. The redesigned 18th tee shot plays straight into a row of fairway bunkers with the clubhouse looming behind — pick a conservative line off the tee and let the hole's demand for composure do the talking.