Royal Birkdale was founded under what original club name?

Royal Birkdale was founded under the original name Birkdale Golf Club.

The club began in 1889 in Birkdale, a coastal area near Southport in Merseyside, England. At its foundation, it was simply called Birkdale Golf Club; the word “Royal” was added much later after the club received official royal status. That distinction makes the original name different from the club’s modern title, Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

Birkdale Golf Club moved to a new site in Birkdale Hills in 1894. The location eventually developed into the famous links course associated with major championships. The club’s present identity is therefore the result of several stages: a local golf club in 1889, a new site in the 1890s, and royal recognition in the twentieth century.

The name is sometimes confused with nearby Southport clubs or with later descriptions such as “Birkdale Links.” Those are not the club’s recorded founding name. “Royal” describes its later status, not its original title.