This week, the eyes of the golfing world are on our doorstep. The 154th Open is being played at Royal Birkdale in Southport — practice days from Sunday 12 July, championship rounds Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 — and tens of thousands of golfers are pouring into Merseyside to watch links golf at its absolute best.
Here's the thing about watching golf, though. By the back nine you're not really watching any more. You're itching to play.
We're an apparel brand born on this coastline — the founders grew up playing Bootle Golf Course, ten minutes down the road — so consider this your local's guide to actually getting a game in while you're here.
Where can you play golf near Royal Birkdale this week?
The stretch of coastline from Liverpool up to Southport is known as England's Golf Coast for a reason: it holds one of the densest collections of true links courses anywhere in the world. Tee times during championship week are tight everywhere, but they exist — book ahead, be flexible on times, and consider the courses locals play rather than only the famous names.
Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa — Fifteen minutes from Birkdale's gates. A championship parkland course with a resort setup that makes it the easiest quality round to organise at short notice on the coast — and if you keep reading, potentially free.
Bootle Golf Course — Our home course. A municipal links-edge track where half of Merseyside learned the game, including us. Nobody will check your handicap certificate and the golf is honest. If you want to understand golf culture round here, this is it.
The famous links — Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale, Formby Golf Club and West Lancashire all sit within a few miles of Birkdale. Visitor slots in Open week are gold dust, but cancellations happen — ring the pro shops directly rather than relying on online booking.
Watch them Thursday. Play your own round after.
Here's ours: spend £150 on Apeiron kit and we'll book you a complimentary 4-ball at Formby Hall — worth £480, four green fees at £120 a head. You and the three people you came to the golf with.
You'll have seen the best players in the world hit shots you'll be describing for years. The natural next step is a tee time of your own, and we'd rather you played it in kit built on this coastline, for this coastline. Our gear is made for links weather because links weather is all we know.
How the free 4-ball works →
What should you wear for links golf?
If this is your first time on the Golf Coast: the weather does everything, usually in one afternoon. The locals' formula is layers — a performance polo, a midlayer you can get on and off between holes, and a cap that stays on in wind that has opinions. Our SS26 range was designed for exactly these conditions.
Shop the range →
Spotted in Apeiron at Birkdale?
If you're at the golf this week wearing Apeiron, grab a photo and tag @apeiron_clothing — every month one post from the community wins a free polo.
Enjoy the week. It doesn't come round here often.
Apeiron Clothing is an independent golf apparel brand from Merseyside. We are not affiliated with The Open or the R&A — just very lucky with our postcode.
