Burnham and Berrow: 2026 Update
Somerset's great dunes links is back in the Open spotlight, hosting Final Qualifying for the 154th Open on 30 June 2026. Here is the news, the Harry Colt history behind the course, and how to play one of England's finest links this season.
The news: Open Final Qualifying returns, 30 June 2026
The headline for 2026 is the championship calendar. The Championship Course at Burnham and Berrow hosts Final Qualifying for The 154th Open on Tuesday 30 June 2026, one of four venues staging the last stage of qualifying for the Open at Royal Birkdale. It is a role the club has held in recent years, and it confirms Burnham and Berrow's standing as one of the genuine championship links in the South West of England.
For visitors the practical point is simple: the course is given over to qualifying around that date and is not open for casual play, so a trip should be planned well before or after. For everyone else it is a reason to take the course seriously, the same test the game's professionals face in their bid to reach the Open is the one a visitor can book the rest of the year.
The course, and its architects
Burnham and Berrow dates to 1890 and grew into its modern shape through three of the great names in course design. It began as a nine hole layout by Charles Gibson, was extended to 18 holes by Herbert Fowler by 1910, and was then reshaped by Harry Colt in work completed in 1923. The result is a classic dunes links, a par 71 that stretches beyond 7,000 yards from the championship tees, with towering sandhills, blind shots and greens that demand precise approach play.
It has long hosted leading amateur events, the Brabazon Trophy and the English Amateur among them, and a nine hole Channel course by Fred Hawtree, added in 1977, brings the club to 27 holes in total. For the hole by hole detail and the facts box, see the full Burnham and Berrow course profile, and pair it in the mind with the other South West greats such as Saunton and St Enodoc.
How to play it in 2026
Visitors are welcome on the Championship Course on most days outside club competitions and championship use, with tee times booked in advance. The links plays well across a long season, with late spring to early autumn the prime window, when the turf runs firm and the wind off the Bristol Channel asks the questions it was built to ask. Away from the qualifying window in late June, availability is good for those who plan ahead.
The smart 2026 trip builds Burnham and Berrow into a South West links tour with Saunton and St Enodoc across the border in Devon and Cornwall, a run of dunes golf that rewards a few days on the road. The summer 2026 visitor green fee is indicative and sits around the mid hundreds of pounds, so treat any figure as a guide and always confirm directly before booking. For more, see our ranked best links courses in the United Kingdom and the best golf courses in England.
Our take
Our take is that Burnham and Berrow is one of the most underrated great links in England, a course often overlooked next to the Open rota names but every bit as demanding and characterful. Its run as an Open Final Qualifying venue is the clearest endorsement there is, and it should sit on any serious links golfer's list.
For 2026 the advice is to give it a full round on a firm summer day, avoid the qualifying window at the end of June, and join it to Saunton and St Enodoc for a South West links week. Few courses combine this scale of dune, this quality of design pedigree and this level of access, and it remains one of the best value rounds among England's championship links.
Plan your South West England links trip
From Burnham and Berrow in Somerset to Saunton and St Enodoc in Devon and Cornwall, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, working the right channels, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed Burnham and Berrow and how old is it?
Burnham and Berrow Golf Club in Somerset dates to 1890. The Championship Course began as a nine hole layout by Charles Gibson, was extended to 18 holes by Herbert Fowler by 1910, and was reshaped by Harry Colt in work completed in 1923, which gives the course much of the layout played today. A nine hole Channel course by Fred Hawtree was added in 1977, making the club 27 holes in all.
Is Burnham and Berrow an Open qualifying venue in 2026?
Yes. The Championship Course at Burnham and Berrow hosts Final Qualifying for The 154th Open on Tuesday 30 June 2026, one of four venues staging Final Qualifying ahead of the Open at Royal Birkdale. Qualifying days mean the course is closed to visitors around that date, so plan a visit well before or after.
How do you play Burnham and Berrow in 2026?
Visitors are welcome on the Championship Course on most days outside competitions, with tee times booked in advance. The links plays well across a long season, with late spring to early autumn the prime window, and pairs naturally with the other great South West links on a Somerset and Devon trip. The summer 2026 visitor green fee is indicative and around the mid hundreds of pounds; always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, design credits and the 2026 championship calendar verified June 2026 from club and Open Championship sources; Burnham and Berrow hosts Open Final Qualifying on Tuesday 30 June 2026, and the Championship Course owes its modern shape to Herbert Fowler and Harry Colt. Conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.