The 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is only one round old, but the conversation has already shifted from leaderboards to landscapes. Golf fans are split down the middle on whether the historic course looks like a championship venue or something you'd find on a farm.
Royal Birkdale has hosted the Open ten times before, with Jordan Spieth's 12-under victory in 2017 still fresh in memory. This year, Jackson Suber leads after round one at 5-under, with Sungjae Im and Dan Brown one back, and a pack including Thomas Detry, Robert MacIntyre, and Francesco Molinari at 3-under. The scoring is solid, but the visual appeal? That's where things get sticky.
“To each, his own. But I cannot imagine thinking that looks like a nice golf course,” one fan posted. “It looks like a grazing field for goats.”
Another countered, “I don't disagree, every course is different and can have different forms of beauty. I love this and how nice Augusta or something like sawgrass looks.” The contrast between Royal Birkdale's brown, firm conditions and the lush green of Augusta National or TPC Sawgrass couldn't be starker.
The debate isn't just about aesthetics—it's about what a major championship course should be. One fan defended the look, saying, “Flat out I’ve been able to spend the best years of my life at a club that focused on firmness and playability. Designed by a master, allowing players of all abilities a way of solving the puzzle by taking the appropriate route.” That echoes the philosophy of links golf, where the ground game and creativity matter as much as power.
But not everyone is buying it. “Fine if it’s brown and yellow in areas that can penalize, but I need my greens, fairways, and tee areas to be lush and green,” argued another user. That sentiment likely resonates with fans accustomed to the emerald carpets of American courses.
On the other side, the Society of Golf Historians tweeted, “I know there are people in the golf world that disagree with me…but this is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!! Looks like an old sepia photo!!! Keep the Open shades of tan and brown!” The post quickly gained traction, showing there's a passionate contingent that loves the rugged, traditional look.
The course conditions won't magically improve in the eyes of critics as the tournament wears on. If anything, more foot traffic and drier weather could make the brown patches even more pronounced. That hasn't stopped the action from being compelling, though. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy entered as co-favorites, but McIlroy has work to do if he wants to add a second major this year.
The second round streams on Peacock and airs on USA Network. For now, the real drama might be off the course, as fans continue to debate whether Royal Birkdale's sepia-toned look is a masterpiece or a mess. If you're looking for more on how weather can affect major events, check out how smoke and heat threatened the World Cup final. And if you think golf fans are divided, wait until you see what happened when World Cup fans swapped jerseys on the beach.
