For Australian golf fans, travelling to The Open always feels a little different from attending other sporting events. The tournament carries history in a way few events still do. Early tee times. Wind coming off the coast. Grandstands sitting beside dunes instead of city skylines.
In 2026, The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale Golf Club, one of the best-known links venues in the rota. The course last hosted The Open in 2017, when Jordan Spieth produced one of the strangest and most memorable closing stretches the tournament has seen in years.
This time, thousands of travelling fans will again make their way into Southport for tournament week. Some will stay for a few days. Others will build full UK golf trips around it.
Either way, planning matters more than people expect.

Why Royal Birkdale always draws attention

Royal Birkdale tends to produce a specific kind of Open Championship.
The course rewards patience more than brute force. Fairways look generous from a distance, but the bunkering punishes poor angles quickly. Weather changes everything too. Calm morning conditions can become difficult by late afternoon if the wind shifts.
That unpredictability is part of why players respect the venue so much.
According to The R&A venue history overview, Royal Birkdale has hosted multiple major championships across several decades and remains one of the most recognisable stops in Open Championship history.
For spectators, the setting helps as much as the golf itself. The dunes create natural viewing corridors, which means fans can often follow multiple groups without constantly moving around the property.
That makes long tournament days easier.

Getting to Southport from Australia

Most Australian visitors will fly into either Manchester or London first.
Manchester is the easier option if flights line up properly. From there, Southport sits roughly 90 minutes away by train or car depending on traffic and rail timing. London adds more flexibility for international arrivals, but the transfer north takes longer.
A lot depends on the rest of your trip.
Some travelling fans combine The Open with golf stops in Scotland or Ireland. Others stay within England and use Liverpool or Manchester as a base for several days before moving closer to the course.
If you plan to rely on trains, book early. Tournament week increases demand quickly, especially around morning arrival times and late-evening departures.
Car hire works well too, though parking around major championship venues can become slow once practice rounds end and the main tournament days begin.

Where most fans stay during Open week

Southport fills up quickly once accommodation bookings open.
Hotels close to the course naturally disappear first, particularly properties within walking distance of Royal Birkdale. Fans who book late often end up staying closer to Liverpool, Formby, or Preston and commuting in each morning.
That is not always a bad thing.
Liverpool gives visitors more restaurant and nightlife options after play finishes, while Southport feels quieter and more golf-focused throughout the week.
Accommodation styles vary a lot during The Open:

• traditional hotels
• golf guesthouses
• short-term apartment rentals
• private homes converted for tournament visitors

Prices rise sharply once the field and tee times become clearer.
If you are travelling with a group, apartment rentals usually make more sense than separate hotel rooms. They also work better for early breakfast schedules and late-night leaderboard discussions once play finishes.

Weather changes quickly at links courses

People who have never attended links golf before usually underestimate the weather.
The forecast may say mild temperatures. That does not mean conditions stay comfortable all day. Coastal wind changes everything. A sunny morning can turn cold by mid-afternoon once the breeze picks up off the Irish Sea.
Packing layers matters more than packing heavy clothing.

Bring:

• a waterproof outer layer
• comfortable walking shoes
• light knitwear or quarter-zips
• a cap or bucket hat
• portable phone charger
• sunscreen

Yes, sunscreen still matters in England.
Tournament days are long too. Fans walk far more than expected at Open venues because following groups between dunes and grandstands adds distance quickly over four rounds.
Comfort becomes important by Friday afternoon.

What tournament days actually feel like

The Open moves differently from most Australian sporting events.
People arrive early. Gates open well before the leading groups tee off. Fans spend long stretches walking quietly between holes instead of sitting in one section for hours.
There is less constant noise than many American tournaments too.
That slower rhythm is part of the appeal. You can spend half an hour beside one green, move toward another group, grab food, then suddenly end up watching a contender escape trouble from a bunker only a few metres away.
Some fans follow one player all day. Others stay near famous holes and let the groups come to them.
Both approaches work at Royal Birkdale.

Evenings around Southport stay busy during Open week

The tournament atmosphere rarely disappears once the final putt drops.
Pubs around Southport and Liverpool stay crowded with travelling fans discussing leaderboard swings, weather forecasts, and pairings for the next morning. Screens usually shift between golf highlights and other live sports running that evening, which turns the whole week into a broader sports-viewing event rather than only a golf tournament.
That second-screen sports culture is already part of major event travel now. Fans follow live scoring apps, check tee-time updates, watch post-round interviews, and keep other sports platforms open while moving between bars, hotel lounges, and late dinners. One thing first-time visitors notice during Open week is that the atmosphere rarely disappears once the final group finishes.
Fans move into pubs, hotel lounges, and golf bars around Southport to keep following leaderboard reactions, highlights, and coverage from other sporting events running that evening. That second-screen sports culture is already part of major tournament travel now, with many visitors casually checking leaderboard apps, fantasy contests, and reload offers at BetandPlay alongside the rest of their sports-night routine.
Nobody really switches off completely during the major week.

Watch-party pacing matters during long golf weekends

Golf watch parties work differently from football or cricket nights because the action stretches across an entire day.
People drift in and out. One group watches the early tee times while another arrives later for the featured pairings. Some fans focus on leaderboard movement. Others mainly stay for the social side of the weekend.
That is why pacing matters.
Food works best when it stays simple. Shared platters, sandwiches, grilled snacks, and smaller plates fit golf broadcasts better than heavy sit-down meals. Seating matters too. Tournament coverage lasts for hours, so comfortable lounge-style setups usually work better than formal arrangements around one screen.
Some hosts also break up quieter stretches between featured groups with light activities once coverage slows temporarily. A simple casino-night card round between broadcasts or during slower leaderboard periods can keep the atmosphere moving without pulling attention completely away from the golf itself.
The goal is not to overplan the day.
Golf already fills the room naturally.

Where Australians usually spend extra time

Many Australian visitors use The Open as part of a wider golf trip instead of flying in only for tournament week.
Popular add-ons include:

• St Andrews
• Royal Troon Golf Club
• Carnoustie Golf Links
• Liverpool city stays
• Dublin extensions through Ireland

The travel logic makes sense. Once you are already in the UK during summer golf season, adding another few courses becomes difficult to resist.
Even non-golfers travelling with the group usually find enough to do around Liverpool and Manchester between tournament days.

Phones, chargers, and travel tech matter more than before

Ten years ago, people attended tournaments differently.
Now everyone tracks live scoring from their phones while standing beside the actual course. Fans compare shot data instantly. Groups message each other across different holes. Train schedules, weather updates, and restaurant bookings all happen in real time during the day.
Portable chargers matter more than most first-time visitors expect.
So does mobile coverage.
Large crowds can slow data speeds near grandstands during peak periods, particularly once leaders reach the back nine on Sunday.
Download tickets beforehand too. Do not rely on loading confirmation emails at the gate.
That problem catches people every year.

Merchandise lines become part of the experience

Open Championship merchandise tends to disappear faster than people expect, especially limited venue-specific gear tied to Royal Birkdale itself.
Popular items usually include:

• quarter-zips
• caps
• pin flags
• limited-edition prints
• caddie bib replicas

Fans who wait until Sunday afternoon often discover certain sizes are already gone.
Morning practice-round days usually give the easiest shopping windows because crowds feel lighter compared to tournament rounds.
And yes, people absolutely bring empty suitcase space specifically for merchandise.

The Open still feels different from every other major

Part of that comes from the setting. Part comes from the weather. But most of it comes from how close spectators can feel to the course itself.
At links venues, the championship blends into the landscape instead of sitting inside a modern sports complex. You hear conversations drifting across dunes. You see players disappear briefly between hills before reappearing two holes later.
Nothing about it feels rushed.
For Australian fans making the trip in 2026, Royal Birkdale offers one of the better versions of that experience. Good transport access, a strong host town, and a course that usually produces dramatic Sundays.
Just pack for changing weather.
And book earlier than you think you need to.