New Golf Courses in England, 2026
England's biggest golf story of 2026 is not a new course but a refreshed classic. Royal Birkdale, gently remodelled by the architects Mackenzie and Ebert, hosts the 154th Open Championship in July. Here is what is new for the year.
Photo via Google.
Royal Birkdale, restored for a 154th Open
England rarely produces a brand new championship links, and 2026 is no exception. The year's headline is restoration. Royal Birkdale on the Southport coast hosts the 154th Open from 16 to 19 July 2026, its first Open since 2017 and the eleventh in the club's history. Ahead of it the course has been in the care of Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie and Ebert, the firm that curates much of the Open rota, with sympathetic remodelling to keep the links current for the modern game.
Restoration and renovation, rather than new construction, is the theme across English golf this year, as heathland and links clubs keep rolling back tree lines and rebuilding bunkering to recover their original character. We could not confirm a major brand new championship course opening in England in 2026, so the story to plan around is Birkdale and the buzz an Open brings to England's Golf Coast.
England golf, 2026 at a glance
| What | Where | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| The 154th Open | Royal Birkdale, Southport | 16 to 19 July 2026; the club's eleventh Open and first since 2017 |
| Course work | Royal Birkdale | Remodelled by Mackenzie and Ebert ahead of the championship |
| Restoration theme | Nationwide | Heathland and links restorations continue rather than new builds |
| New construction | Nationwide | No major brand new championship course confirmed to open in England in 2026 |
Inside the 2026 story
Why Birkdale matters
Royal Birkdale is one of the great English links and a perennial favourite among players, a fair, exposed test in the dunes of the Sefton coast. Hosting the 154th Open in July 2026 puts it back at the centre of the golf calendar and lifts the whole stretch of links around Southport, from Hillside and Southport and Ainsdale to the wider England's Golf Coast cluster.
What the architects changed
The course is curated by Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie and Ebert, the practice responsible for much of the Open rota. Their approach at venues like Birkdale is evolution rather than reinvention, sharpening tees, bunkering and green surrounds so a historic links keeps asking modern questions without losing its character. Treat the detail of any individual change as a club and championship matter, and the headline simply as a venue freshened for its biggest week.
The rest of the English scene
Away from Southport, English golf in 2026 is a story of restoration across the heathland belt of Surrey and Berkshire and the links of the north west and east, where clubs continue recovery work rather than building anew. That makes the year a strong one to revisit classics rather than chase openings, with the Open providing the natural anchor.
Our take
Our take for 2026 is to plan around the Open rather than a new course. A trip to the Southport links in the weeks either side of July, or a wider England’s Golf Coast week, lets you ride the championship buzz and play some of the best links in the country. Royal Birkdale itself is hard to access in an Open year, so the smart move is the neighbours.
Championship venues guard their tee sheets, so confirm access and dates directly before building a trip. Our England destination hub, the best courses on England’s Golf Coast list and our England golf holidays page are the places to start, and our team can shape a links route around the Open.
Plan a England golf trip
Want to build a trip around the 2026 Open links and England's Golf Coast? Tell us your dates and group and one concierge will shape the route, tee times and lodging, costed to the head, with no obligation.
New England golf, your questions
Are any new golf courses opening in England in 2026?
We could not confirm a major brand new championship course opening in England in 2026. The year's story is restoration and a major championship, led by Royal Birkdale, remodelled by Mackenzie and Ebert, which hosts the 154th Open in July. Across the country the theme is heathland and links restoration rather than new construction.
When is The Open 2026?
The 154th Open is scheduled for 16 to 19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale in Southport, the eleventh Open held at the club and its first since 2017. Dates and ticketing should always be confirmed with the championship directly.
Who remodelled Royal Birkdale?
The course is curated by Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie and Ebert, the architecture practice responsible for much of the Open rota. Their work is sympathetic remodelling intended to keep a historic links current for the modern game rather than a redesign.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. The 154th Open dates, Royal Birkdale's place in the rota and the Mackenzie and Ebert remodelling compiled June 2026 from The Open and golf course architecture sources; championship dates and access can change, so confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.