Southport and Ainsdale: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Known on the coast as S and A, Southport and Ainsdale is a James Braid links that twice hosted the Ryder Cup, in 1933 and 1937, set among the dunes between Southport and Formby. Here is where it stands in 2026, what visitors will pay, and how to play it.
The news: a Ryder Cup links, in an Open summer
Southport and Ainsdale is one of the historic courses of the Merseyside golf coast, a James Braid links that staged the Ryder Cup in 1933 and again in 1937 and has long served as an Open qualifying venue. For 2026 nothing about its standing has changed, but the coast around it is about to be very busy.
The 154th Open is being played a short drive away at Royal Birkdale from 16 to 19 July 2026, which turns the Southport coast into one of the most sought after golf destinations of the year. The headline for travellers is access and rates, and demand for the supporting courses, S and A among them, will be high around the Championship.
The course, and the coast around it
The Braid links runs through big dunes with firm, true greens and the strategic bunkering that marks his work, a championship test that has held its own against the best amateurs and professionals for the better part of a century. The Ryder Cup pedigree is real: the 1933 and 1937 matches were played here, and the course retains the scale and quality of a tournament venue.
S and A sits at Ainsdale between Southport and Formby, around 45 minutes from Liverpool and Manchester airports, in a cluster that also includes Royal Birkdale and Formby. That density of great links is what makes a Southport coast trip so rewarding.
How to play it in 2026
Southport and Ainsdale is a private members links that welcomes visitors, most easily on weekdays. Contact the club to arrange a tee time. Indicative visitor green fees were from around 175 pounds on weekdays and 190 pounds at weekends for a 2025 round, and seasonal 2026 rates vary; treat any figure as indicative and confirm directly before booking.
The firmest links turf comes from May to September, though the course plays well in any settled spell. Weekday visits are easiest, and the coast fills early in summer, so in an Open year in particular book well ahead and consider pairing S and A with a neighbouring links.
Our take
Our take is that Southport and Ainsdale is too often overlooked next to its famous neighbours, and that is exactly why it belongs on a coast itinerary: a genuine Ryder Cup links with championship bones and an easier welcome than the headline names.
If you are planning a 2026 Southport trip around the Open at Birkdale, slot S and A in alongside the bigger courses, book weekday tee times early, and travel between May and September for the best turf. Confirm the current visitor rate directly before you go.
Plan your Southport golf coast trip
From Southport and Ainsdale to Royal Birkdale and Formby in an Open year, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play Southport and Ainsdale?
Yes. It is a private members links that welcomes visitors, most easily on weekdays. Contact the club to arrange a tee time, and book well ahead in summer, especially around the 2026 Open at nearby Royal Birkdale.
What are the green fees at Southport and Ainsdale for 2026?
Indicative visitor green fees were from around 175 pounds on weekdays and 190 pounds at weekends for a 2025 round, with seasonal 2026 rates varying. Treat these as indicative and confirm directly with the club before booking.
What is the Southport and Ainsdale course like?
It is a James Braid links through big dunes that hosted the Ryder Cup in 1933 and 1937 and has long been an Open qualifying venue. Firm true greens and strategic bunkering make it a genuine championship test on the Merseyside coast.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, access and fee details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.