Royal Birkdale - Best golf course with the worst looking clubhouse?

[Sean_A]

Hard to believe Birkdale is getting jacked.  Carnoustie (now) and Turnberry are the true crimes.  Portrush, soon to get its spotlight comes in third worst.  I like Birkdale's house, but then I like Art Deco.

Ciao

[Rees Milikin]

The Long Beach airport's long lost brother. 

[Ryan Coles]

Porthcawl in my opinion.


A certain charm inside, with a great view, but it's just a series of outbuildings.

[BCrosby]

Love the clubhouse.


Does anyone recall if the RB clubhouse served as a setting for a scene or two in an episode of the Agatha Christie mysteries on BBC back in the '90's? When Jane Hickson played Miss Marple? Or am I confusing art deco clubhouses?


Bob

[Kalen Braley]

The Long Beach airport's long lost brother.

Rees, Audible yuks on that one.. I've flown in there a few times.  While it is very convenient compared to LAX, its fugly as all get out too!! 

[Rees Milikin]

The Long Beach airport's long lost brother.

Rees, Audible yuks on that one.. I've flown in there a few times.  While it is very convenient compared to LAX, its fugly as all get out too!! 

Yes it is, shart deco

[MJohnson]

The Birkdale clubhouse looks superb in my view. It would not be the background on my mobile if it wasn't.


It also is a wonderfully comfortable place to watch golf from too. With a pot of tea and a sandwich - what could be better?

[Kalen Braley]

Loving me some NY Times Snark. 


IS THAT REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE A SHIP?  At first glance the Royal Birkdale clubhouse looks like something that would better belong in a tawdry seaside amusement park like Blackpool just north of here. It's actually an art deco design from 1935 that is supposed to look something like a ship going out to sea


https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/07/19/world/europe/ap-glf-british-open-a-guide.html

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Mark,


In your backyard I would say Philadelphia CC is the winner for the best course with the worst clubhouse.

[Thomas Dai]

There was once an Art Deco residents house alongside the 17th green at Wentworth. No longer there. Any other Art Deco around U.K. golf clubs?
Atb

[Mike Schott]

I despise the RB clubhouse. As a fan of prairie architecture, it is the opposite. It is not natural and is poorly integrated with the property. I see nothing art deco about it. Maybe it's better in person.

[Paul Stockert]

Somehow the debates about clubhouse architecture are infrequent enough on here to not get old, and always grab my attention!  Who knows why.  I like the looks of the R.B. clubhouse because I'm a fan of deco, and I'm a fan of clubhouses that look like amazing 19th holes.  Gotta think the after round drink and sunset (if it's not cloudy??) would be amazing there. 


Since we're at it 3 of my favorite clubhouses have been Kingston Heath and Metropolitan in Melb, and Old Head's.  But courses like KH could put out a mobile trailer and no one would care.



- PJ

[Matthew Essig]

This thread can be boiled down to one simple sentence that is already fact:


Art deco is polarizing.

[Josh Stevens]

Do they still have the men only bar?  I snuck in in 98, lovely views down the course

[James Boon]

If my thoughts while reading this thread are anything like those of the golf course architects on here when we amateurs start discussing golf course design, its no wonder I dont post as much as I used too? 

I've never been in the Royal Birkdale clubhouse (will do later this year hopefully) so can only comment from the outside. Its far from the best example of an art deco building, but the fact that there are so few "interesting" club houses in this country does mean this one certainly gets plenty of appreciation and I for one quite like it.

Cheers,

James

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Put me down in the likes column for the clubhouse. It is exceptionally comfortable. I was even made very welcome when my boys were playing in a junior competition there and I really had no place in the clubhouse.


On another tack, I knew a member, long deceased, who knew every inch of Birkdale and took me over the course showing me where former holes had once been. Many traces of them survived at least into the 1980s.

[Michael Wolf]

I like the Birkdale Clubhouse.


Not too far away, the West Lancaster clubhouse/YMCA is not so hot. If I remember correctly, you have to walk back outside to get from the locker room to the restaurant. The members must shake their heads at the picture on the wall of the beautiful tudor clubhouse that was torn down to make room for the generic box which succeeded it.


MW

[James Boon]

I like the Birkdale Clubhouse.


Not too far away, the West Lancaster clubhouse/YMCA is not so hot. If I remember correctly, you have to walk back outside to get from the locker room to the restaurant. The members must shake their heads at the picture on the wall of the beautiful tudor clubhouse that was torn down to make room for the generic box which succeeded it.


MW

MW,


Do you mean West Lancs / West Lancashire? Yes the need to go back outside to get from changing room to bar is an odd one!


Cheers,


James

[Mark McKeever]

Mark McKeever,

Would you accept, for free, a needlepoint Smathers & Branson belt depicting the Royal Birkdale clubhouse?

If not, how much would I have to pay you to wear it?

I'd accept it, and post it on Instagram of course.  Some would dig it, as some do actually like the clubhouse.  I'd probably end up giving it away to one of the people who actually find it to be appealing.

[David_Tepper]

David Owen blog on the clubhouse:

http://www.myusualgame.com/2017/07/20/the-clubhouse-at-royal-birkdale/

The blog has pictures of some similarly designed (and good looking) houses in the Southport area. 

[Mike Schott]

David Owen blog on the clubhouse:

http://www.myusualgame.com/2017/07/20/the-clubhouse-at-royal-birkdale/

The blog has pictures of some similarly designed (and good looking) houses in the Southport area.

Thanks David. The article gives some perspective. The main issue, at least to me is how poorly it blends into the landscape. The main problem is the stark white color. The cream color in one the pictures in the article would be far nicer.

[Anthony Gholz]

In the (building) architectural work there is a saying that "modern architecture in Britain is an oxymoron."  its a cliche because ...


I remember the Masterpiece Theatre Hercule Poirot series where one of the bits I looked forward to was the '30s art deco scene of the crime. 


Unfortunately during The Open the stands don't allow for the ship to "float"

[Anthony Gholz]

I noticed today on the telecast that there were several other houses next to the course that either were 1930s streamline modern houses or played off that theme

[David_Tepper]

Anthony G. -

If you click on the link to David Owen's blog in my prior post, you will see photos of several houses in Birkdale's neighborhood that were designed/built in a Art Deco style similar the Birkdale's clubhouse.

Yes, at least one of them was visible in the telecast.

DT

[Anthony Gholz]

David:


Yes thanks. I took a look.  Someday I'll get back there and drive through the neighborhood.  I really liked the original ch rendering and to see how the details have been changed either at the time of construction or later.


Anthony