West Lancashire Golf Club

Some much time is spent talking about Scottish and Irish links, and yet the Northwest coast of England is simply littered with incredible must-play courses. West Lancashire Golf Club (fondly referred to as West Lancs) sits amongst three Royal neighbors – Birkdale, Lytham and Liverpool – and therefore does not get the recognition it deserves. It is a truly classic links course just north of Liverpool and with panoramic views across the Crosby Channel to the Birkenhead peninsula and Liverpool Bay beyond.

Founded in 1873 by members of Royal Liverpool who wanted to expand the game, the original architect is unknown, and we suspect Mother Nature did most of the work as West Lancs is such a natural links. The present course opened in 1961 after a CK Cotton redesign, with a new clubhouse following a year later that includes great balcony views from the first floor. Visitors are warmly welcomed, and the practice facilities include a full driving range, chipping area and putting green.

West Lancashire Golf Course overview

Ranked amongst the top 100 courses in the British Isles, West Lancashire is one of those hidden gems that gets overshadowed by more famous neighbors but is an absolute treat to play.

A par-72 and just under 7000 yards from the tips, there are humps and hollows, elevated tees with big undulating greens on plateaus and in dells, and everywhere a sea of rough. Pot bunkers are in all the right places and there are plenty of blind shots, which makes for a stern challenge and will have you wanting to play it again.

Signature Holes

Holes 12 to 14 are a fine stretch. An excellent 175-yard par-3 followed by a spectacular par-4 played from an elevated tee and with views to die for, culminating in the toughest hole on the course that requires a 300-yard tee shot to give an unobstructed view of the green.

Did You Know?

West Lancashire is one of the 10 oldest golf clubs in England. Although the original architect is unknown, the famous James Braid conducted a substantial redesign in 1921 before CK Cotton remodelled in 1961.