Travel bucket list idea:
The setting for Jordan Spieth’s remarkable 2017 Open Championship win is this stunning links course, a mile south of Southport. The eighteen holes wind their way through magnificent dunes – the four par 3s (4, 7, 12 and 14) – are as good as any you’ll find, and many of the tees are slightly elevated, making the holes easy to see. The 12th is particularly challenging, playing over a hollow and onto a narrow green protected by an amphitheatre of four pot bunkers.
The 18th, which thankfully plays as a par 5 for amateurs (the pros play it as a tough 4), finishes at the eye-catching art deco clubhouse (and site of a fine restaurant). All told, a superb golfing experience.
The course is only a 30-minute drive from Liverpool – perfect to pair with a city break. See our Liverpool guide for recommendations of where to stay.
The course is open to visitors on Mondays, Tuesday afternoons from 2.10pm; Wednesdays, Thursdays, Friday mornings and some Sunday mornings between 11:30am and 12 noon. April to September is the best time to play; you avoid winter greens and fairway mats.
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Merseyside, United Kingdom (UK)
Home of the world’s most successful ever-band and one of the world’s top football clubs, the reborn city is also a cultural powerhouse, with top-notch museums, rich maritime heritage and cultural events galore.
Round-ups that include this experience
Multiple countries
Spectacular landscapes, impeccable fairways and greens, brilliantly-designed holes and plenty of golfing folklore – we asked golf expert and journalist Fionn Davenport to recommend his top 30 golf courses from around the world.
