England Golf Course Renovations to Watch in 2026
England's renovation year is shaped by the championship calendar. Royal Birkdale is being tuned for the 2026 Open, Wentworth is rebuilding its East course, and the resort heavyweights at The Belfry have reworked a course with sixty new bunkers. Here is what is changing and what it means for your trip.
The headline: Royal Birkdale and the 2026 Open
The story that frames English golf in 2026 is the return of the Open Championship to Royal Birkdale on the Lancashire coast. Birkdale, one of the most respected links on the rota, has had changes made ahead of staging the year's biggest championship, the routine but meaningful work of preparing a great course for the modern game and a vast crowd, from tee lengthening to bunker and infrastructure detail.
An Open year always lifts the courses around it too. The southport and Lancashire coast is one of the densest concentrations of championship links anywhere, and a Birkdale Open puts the whole stretch in the shop window. For visiting golfers the practical effect is simple, the marquee venues are busier and tee sheets tighter in a championship summer, so the courses reward early planning more than ever.
The wider picture
Inland, the biggest construction news is at Wentworth in Surrey, where European Golf Design has begun a renovation of the East course along with the creation of a new golf academy. It follows extensive work on the famous West course, which saw five greens redesigned, bunkers reduced and the first ever installation of sub air systems in England to keep the greens firm and healthy under heavy tournament and member play. Wentworth remains the home of the BMW PGA Championship, and the club is steadily modernizing the wider estate around it.
At the resort end, The Belfry in Warwickshire, a four time Ryder Cup host, has completed a significant reconfiguration of its Derby course, adding more than sixty new white sand bunkers and a full set of white, yellow, red and junior tees. And the championship spotlight is not only on the men, with Royal Lytham and St Annes set to host the Women's Open and continuing to invest in its links ahead of a busy run of major championships.
What it means for your trip
England in 2026 splits cleanly into two trips. The first is a links pilgrimage on the northwest coast, built around Birkdale and its neighbors, best played either side of the Open week rather than during it, when the courses are at their championship sharpest but access is easiest for visitors outside the championship window. The second is an inland heathland and parkland tour through Surrey and the Midlands, where Wentworth and The Belfry sit among the best.
Whichever you choose, an Open year means demand. Green fees at the marquee venues are seasonal and premium, package availability tightens around the championship, and many of the great clubs limit visitor tee times, so book early and confirm green fees and access directly before booking.
Our take
England is doing what the great golfing nations do best, preparing its championship links with care while quietly modernizing the inland estates that carry the tour week to week. Birkdale's Open is the headline, but the steady work at Wentworth and the reconfigured resort golf at The Belfry matter just as much for a visiting golfer. Plan your 2026 trip around the calendar, decide between coast and country, and lock in the marquee tee times early.
Plan your England golf trip
From the 2026 Open links at Royal Birkdale to the modernized inland golf at Wentworth and The Belfry, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Where is the 2026 Open Championship being played?
The 2026 Open returns to Royal Birkdale on the Lancashire coast, with the course tuned ahead of staging the championship. An Open year lifts demand across the whole northwest links coast, so plan and book early.
What is being renovated at Wentworth?
European Golf Design has begun a renovation of Wentworth's East course along with a new golf academy, following major work on the West course that redesigned five greens, reduced bunkers and installed the first sub air systems in England.
What changed at The Belfry?
The Belfry has completed a significant reconfiguration of its Derby course, adding more than sixty new white sand bunkers and a full set of white, yellow, red and junior tees. Its Brabazon course remains the famous Ryder Cup layout.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Renovation and championship details verified June 2026 from course and event sources; dates and fees change, so always confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.