Royal Birkdale Golf Club Hole By Hole Guide: Hole 13

A guide to the thirteenth hole at Royal Birkdale ahead of the 146th Open Championship

Royal Birkdale Golf Club Hole By Hole Guide: Hole 13 How To Watch The Open Without Sky Sports
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A guide to the thirteenth hole at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England ahead of the 146th Open Championship

Royal Birkdale Golf Club Hole By Hole Guide: Hole 13

Hole 13 - Par 4 - 499 yards

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The 146th Open Championship takes place at Royal Birkdale this month, here is a guide to the thirteenth hole.

Related: Royal Birkdale Golf Club Course Review

The 13th is one of the toughest holes on the course, ranked as stroke index four on the scorecard.

Like many other par fours on the course, sand comes into play on the drive with five bunkers ranging from 238 yards to 346 yards from the back tee.

The bunker left at 325 is a good one to aim at with a slight fade.

From there it is a long iron into this green with tall sand dunes beyond, whilst deep bunkers and contouring guard the front.

A great hole and one that could see plenty of disasters.

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV