When you think of the British Open, two courses quickly come to mind: Carnoustie Championship Course, the site of last year's Open, and Royal Birkdale, the site of this year's tournament. This is the ninth time the Open is being played at Royal. The course is second only to St. Andrews in the number of Opens held there. Despite a lengthening of the course, which plays at over 7100 yards, this year's venue promises to test a golfer's shotmaking capabilities to the limit, as expected from a major tournament.
Royal Birkdale is a links course—the oldest style golf courses. They often reflect the nature of the scenery where the sport originated and the fact that only limited resources were available at the time. Earth moving had to be done by hand, so it was minimized. Many links style courses are located in coastal areas, on sandy soil and amid dunes, with few water hazards and few trees, if any. Links courses are demanding, as I've said in my golf tips. Expect an upward bump in your golf handicap until you get used to playing this style course.
Brief History of Birkdale Opens
Royal Birkdale features a rich and varied history. As the host of one of golf's four most prestigious tournaments, it's been the site of some great golf and some tight finishes, thanks in no small part to the course's challenging layout. The first British Open was scheduled here in 1940. But when war broke out, the Open was cancelled. Fourteen years later Royal Birkdale hosted its first Open. Since then, it has been the site of some of the most memorable Opens in history.
Winners here include Peter Thompson, who won in 1954, Arnold Palmer, who won in 1961, and Lee Trevino, who won in 1971. In 1976, Johnny Miller just beat out a young Severiano Ballesteros. In 1983 Tom Watson won his fifth British Open, his eight major win in nine seasons. And in 1991 Ian Baker-Finch birdied his way to the title. In 1998, the last time the British Open was played at Royal Birkdale, Mark O'Meara beat Brain Watts in a tight play-off match for his second major win in three months.
Course Layout
Royal Birkdale has a reputation of fairness among professional golfers. The current layout is a collaborative effort of Fred Hawtree and J.H. Taylor, who won the British Open five times. They revamped the original layout in 1922. Traditionally, a links course design asks golfers to play up and over sand dunes, resulting in many blind shots. But Taylor and Hawtree's design requires golfers to follow the valleys between the dunes, which also provides flatter lies. Their design also creates a sense of seclusion, with many holes routed so that a player doesn't see the holes aside it.
Key Holes To Watch
Playing a links course is different because golfers are often exposed to extreme whether conditions. Since most links courses are near the seacoast, players often play in winds far stronger than normal. Players must keep most shots low and on a line. A links course may look flat and featureless from a distance, but often has a mass of humps and hollows, providing difficult lies. Many tee shots are semi-blind and good shotmaking is at a premium.
This year's Royal Birkdale is 155 yards longer than the last time the British Open was played there. But the extra yards won't impact play as much as will the tightened bunkers, newly introduced mounds, and altered playing lines.
From the 1st hole, perhaps the toughest of any Open venue, the front nine represents a great loop of holes that maybe more challenging than the back nine. Key holes in addition to the first are the 5th and the 6th, a contrast of heavily bunkered, short dogleg par 4s. These holes are drivable for pros under the right conditions. The 6th is perhaps the toughest hole on the course.
The back nine is as beautiful the front. It also is just as challenging. The holes meander through towering sand dunes, which frame each hole. The par-3 12th is among the greatest par-3s on any links golf course, and the new green on the 17th promises to impact play. The 18th is a classic finishing hole, with an out-of-bounds on the right and three bunkers along the fairway, including a new one on the left at 300 yards. Don't be surprised if the Open is decided on this hole.
Royal Birkdale would play havoc with anyone's golf handicap. It would drive most amateurs to take more golf lessons and read more golf tips. But it should be a fair test for this year's participant. It will be interesting to see just how they fare. With Tiger Woods out of the picture, the 2008 British Open is up for grabs.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
