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ROYAL BIRKDALE GOLF CLUB 6986 YARDS PAR 72 DESIGNERS: George Low, Fred Hawtree and J. H. Taylor Whether Birkdale is the greatest of the private courses on the Open Rota is subject to debate. In its favour is the fact that it has hosted more championships and international matches since the end of the second war than any other club. That Birkdale has the most, shall we say, unusual clubhouse is without debate. Designed at the height of the Art Deco craze in 1931, the structure is most charitably described as resembling a great white steamship on the horizon. Our opinion is not all that charitable. The Birkdale course sits amid the most extensive stretch of golfing linksland in the world: the great mass of sand dunes, heather, pine forest and willow scrub running northward from Liverpool to Southport along Liverpool Bay on the Irish Sea. Some courses, such as Dornoch, seem to exist in close harmony with nature, appearing more discovered than designed. Others, like vintage Pete Dye designs, seem determined to overpower or even ignore their settings. Birkdale is one of those courses that appears to exist in dynamic tension with its surroundings. At any moment, one can imagine the rugged and untamed vegetation of the hills between the holes reclaiming the carefully manicured fairways and greens so close by. This is amplified by two prevailing characteristics of Birkdale's design. The fairways meander through the sandhills rather than over them and the greens are set quite close to the dunes. The result is a target golf course far more familiar to American golfers than British ones. Many of Birkdale's holes have been the scene of memorable championship moments. On the 18th green, American Captain Jack Nicklaus made his famous concession of a four foot putt to Tony Jacklin in the final singles match of the 1969 Ryder Cup. That permitted Jacklin to halve their match and the home team to halve the Cup (which the American contingent retained as the previous winners). In 1971, Lu Liang Huan became the first Asian to challenge for the Open Championship. In the 1976 Open, an unknown 19 year old Spaniard named Ballesteros earned a place in the final two ball before he eventually lost to Johnny Miller. Although the par five 6th may seem short at 490 yards, the cross bunker which pinches the drive and the height of the sandhills which line the fairways can make the drive and second shot harrowing indeed. In the 1954 Open, Peter Thomson's second failed to clear the right sand hill leaving him a hundred yard blind shot to the green. When his subsequent shot came to rest five feet from the pin, he was well on his way to his first Open Championship. The victory was not without considerable challenge early in the final round, however, from Arnold Palmer. Playing the par three 7th amidst one of his famous attacks, Palmer failed to remember that, whilst it is seldom felt from the tee, there is a constant sea breeze across the hole. Playing a high nine iron instead of a low struck shot, his ball and his hopes for victory were irretrievably lost. The 13th hole is the most open of the par fives and thereby offers the best opportunity for a low score. In the 1976 Open, when Johnny Miller chipped in for eagle, a young Ballesteros skipped smiling across the green to shake his hand.
The 16th hole is a dog leg par four of some 416 yards which lures the golfer to cut the corner. In the 1961 Open with Dai Rees closing to only one stroke back, Palmer tried the shortcut but found his ball in deep right rough despite the fact it was only a foot from the fairway. A plaque now commemorates the fact that, from that lie. Palmer managed somehow to smash a six iron 140 yards to within 15 feet of the cup and go on to win his first Open. The tee shot on the par five 17th is one of the most forbidding on the course. The fairway is quite narrow and hemmed by huge dunes covered with scrub. It favours a right to left player. In 1971, Lee Trevino lost nearly all of his substantial lead over Mr. Lu when he pulled his drive into the fearsome waste and made seven. Trevino was assured of his championship only after his final putt was holed. Many would argue that a course can never be a truly great test without a great finishing hole. Birkdale fully meets that measure. Its 18th is a 472 yard par four with no less than ten bunkers, including three which severely restrict entrance to the green by what must be a low running shot. In winning their fifth Open championships, Thomson in 1965 and Watson in 1983 both struck superb two irons in the final round. Watson called his "the best two iron of my life." The only tarnish in the championship luster of Birkdale was the questionable condition of the greens. Despite the splendid putting display by winner Ian Baker-Finch, numerous negative comments were heard during the 1991 Open. To its credit, the Club began an extensive programme to refurbish its greens and completed it prior to the 1998 Open. Independent travellers: Look for the club sign post and the white clubhouse on your right driving south from Southport on the A 565. Note there is a separate car park for visitors. Report to the pro shop. Birkdale is rather strict about handicap cards and letters of introduction so be certain to bring both documents. For access to the clubhouse, ask the pro shop staff for the security password. Either preceding or following your round, gather in the lounge overlooking the eighteenth for soup and sandwiches. |