"I love this golf course because it's extremely difficult, but it's fair because all the trouble's right in front of you." - Tiger Woods

Situated on the golden links of the North West coast in Southport, Royal Birkdale is possible the finest of all courses in England. Established on July 30, 1889, Royal Birkdale Golf Club has a rich history steeped in tradition. In 1951, Royal Birkdale was granted Royal status, marking a significant milestone in its illustrious journey.

Over the years, Royal Birkdale has been the proud host of numerous prestigious events, including 10 Open Championships, 6 Women’s Opens, 2 Ryder Cups–one of which witnessed the famous ‘concession’ incident in 1969–along with one Senior Open and various Professional & Amateur Championship’s.

The course recently underwent significant changes to improve playability, give variation to the then set of par 3 holes, and improve bunkers, tees and pathways throughout the 18 holes.

The Club is excited to be hosting the Open Championship once again in 2026, when the world’s best players will return to Royal Birkdale and no doubt enjoy the changes to the course.

Despite its, at first glance, flat and benign appearance, Hoylake makes the trickiest demands of a player’s shot selection, distance control and accuracy. When Open Championships are hosted here only the ultimate masters of these elements emerge victorious as Champion Golfer of the Year. Royal Liverpool’s 13 Opens have delivered 13 different Champions, comprising an array of amateur stars, history makers and modern-day giants - with many of them claiming wins of huge historical significance.

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club is one of the premier links courses in the World, host to eleven Open Championships, two Ryder Cups and numerous other major tournaments including The Women’s Open, The Senior Open, The Amateur Championship and The Walker Cup. It is renowned as one of the best designed links courses in the world with 174 strategically positioned pot bunkers peppering the fairways and surrounding the greens, lying in wait for errant shots.

The Course has a charm all of its own, flanked by a railway line and surrounded by suburban housing. It is a Links Course that is away from the sea yet close enough for the sea breeze to have an effect on one’s game and was aptly described by Bernard Darwin, the leading golf writer of the thirties, as ‘a beast of a Course, but a just beast’.  He went on to say that ‘no one could fail to be impressed by its difficulties, which sets a golfer just about as ruthless as an examination as any Course of my acquaintance’.

The course sits on flat terrain meaning you can enjoy the scenic surroundings and wildlife equally whether walking or out on the golf carts. Measuring 5,500 of the reds, over 6,000 of the yellow tees and stretching out to 7,000 off the blues, the parkland style course offers a consistent playing surface all year round.

Our signature hole is the Par 3 16th; the picturesque backdrop frames a superb short hole. The prevailing wind and pin positions will make you think twice on your club selection! 

The course sits on flat terrain meaning you can enjoy the scenic surroundings and wildlife equally whether walking or out on the golf carts. Measuring 5,500 of the reds, over 6,000 of the yellow tees and stretching out to 7,000 off the blues, the parkland style course offers a consistent playing surface all year round.

Our signature hole is the Par 3 16th; the picturesque backdrop frames a superb short hole. The prevailing wind and pin positions will make you think twice on your club selection! 

The course was designed by C K Cotton and is laid out on some 200 acres of land and succeeds in carrying out the ideal layout of a golf course – two loops of nine holes with the 9th and 18th greens in front of the clubhouse.  The course starts with a demanding dogleg par-4 and keeps you challenged throughout with a great run from the 7th to 9th. After the demanding par 3 12th, you climb up to a splendid view from the elevated 13th tee. From here on in it is one quality links hole after another – the challenge is non-stop and will keep you on your toes from start to finish.

Previous hosts to the Amateur Championship, PGA Seniors Championship, multiple international fixtures and the famous ‘Formby Hare’, Formby is widely regarded as one of the finest links courses in the World.

More recently, Martin Ebert undertook a full review of the links in 2018 and three full phases of work (2019-21) have greatly elevated the front nine holes. The layout of the course is balanced in two halves with the opening holes heading along flatter ground beside the railway line. The much improved nine holes of the opening half whet the appetite for the drama that awaits on second nine. Here you will find valleyed corridors through some of the highest and wildest dunes found anywhere. Each hole occupying its own unique site creating a wonderful sense of isolation.

A true championship course, it is a magnificent test of golf, especially when a round can be accompanied by a fresh sea breeze coming in across the Irish Sea.

Everything combining naturally just as nature intended - S&A will provide you with the most challenging and immensely enjoyable day of golf you are likely to ever experience.

The Old Links is regularly voted in the Top 100 courses in England by Golf World, Today's Golfer and National Club Golfer, and our signature 9th hole was voted by Golf World as the Top 9th Hole in Great Britain. As the great Bobby Jones said,  “'it's difficult to see how you could improve on this''.

Founded in 1885, Hesketh is Southport’s oldest golf club. Set among the Victorian villas of Churchtown, the course blends rich history with natural beauty, bordering a renowned nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest, home to diverse birdlife and wildlife.

Hesketh’s history is deeply woven into the fabric of English golf. The English Golf Union was founded here, and legends like Henry Cotton have graced its fairways. The club is also home to the unique ‘Hitler Trophy’ from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, won by Hesketh’s own Arnold Bentley.

The course itself offers a fair yet demanding test. Half the holes weave through dunes, the rest run alongside the Ribble Estuary, with a dramatic closing stretch from the 14th to 18th framed by the clubhouse.