england: Accommodations - Golf - Other Activities England Golf Courses In the U.S., England rarely comes up in discussions about golf. When you think about it, this is somewhat surprising because England has arguably the finest and most extensive collection of golf courses outside of the Unites Sates. Great golf courses can be found in all corners of the country and most of them welcome visitors. The best known are the two areas that have courses on the current British Open rote. These are the Lancashire Coast, north of Liverpool, on the Irish Sea and Kent and the Channel coast southeast of London. ROYAL LIVERPOOL Designed by: Robert Chambers and George Morris Par 72, 7210 yards The Royal Liverpool course at Hoylake started life as the race course of the Liverpool Hunt Club, set on the shores of the Dee and with the Welsh hills in the distance. The golf course was built in 1869 and, with the exception of Westward ho! in Devon, is the oldest seaside course in England. It is also one of the great links courses having hosted the British Open eleven times. And as all links courses, the wind makes it's presence felt. [BACK TO TOP] ROYAL BIRKDALE Designed by: Fred Hawtree and J.H. Taylor Par 70, 7018 yards Royal Birkdale is host to the 2008 British Open. Among the many great courses along the northwest coast of England, Birkdale stands out as a perfect example of links golf. The club was founded in 1889, starting life as a nine hole course. In 1897 the the club was moved to Birkdale Hills, where an 18 hole course was constructed. [BACK TO TOP] ROYAL LYTHAM & ST. ANNES Designed by: Herbert Fowler, Harry Colt, Tom Simpson Par 71, 6630 yards Nestled between two seaside resorts, the Royal Lytham St. Annes is one of the most unique courses in the British Open rota. It is links in every sense of the word, with sandy soil and the wind blowing in from the Irish Sea. Open to the elements, the trees on the course seem to lean permanently sideways, with the wind often proving a formidable competitor, particularly in the homeward five holes of the course. It opens with a par 3, the only major championship course to do so. The first four holes and last five are said to be amongst the trickiest in the United Kingdom. [BACK TO TOP] FORMBY GOLF CLUB Designed by: Willy Park, Harry Colt Par 72, 7024 yards Formby Golf Club is one of the classic courses on the English coastline. Although somewhat protected from the elements by pine trees that line several of the holes, the course is a tough one, particularly when the wind breaks through. The profusion of wildlife and plants at Formby resulted in its declaration as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with the magnificent, fragile dunes a designated conservation area. The greens at Fromby are firm and the undulating fairways excellent. Accuracy and concentration are prerequisites for every hole, with the heather and rough forming a natural boundary together with bunkers and sandhills. [BACK TO TOP] HILLSIDE Designed by: James Baird, Donald Steel Par 72, 6850 yards Hillside lies almost side-by-side with Royal Birkdale, amid a stretch of sandhills near Southport. The quality of the individual holes is such that golfers may find it difficult to separate the two. Typical of the links courses on the English coastline, Hillside is open to the winds of the Irish Sea, and laid out in a truly stunning setting. [BACK TO TOP] SOUTHPORT & AINSDALE Designed by: James Baird Par 71, 6687 yards The Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club, or the S & A as it is affectionately known, is part of the chain of links courses spread along England’s western coastline. The entire course has been designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, with natterjack toads and squirrels resident among the sand dunes and heath land. [BACK TO TOP] WEST LANCASHIRE Designed by: C.K. Colton Par 72, 6862 yards The Wast Lancashire course is a pioneer of golf in England’s northwest, the oldest surviving golf club in Lancashire County and among the top ten oldest in England. This links course is set in natural seaside terrain with immaculate greens. Eleven of the holes measure over 400 yards, by any standards, it is a true championship course. [BACK TO TOP] WALLASEY Designed by: Old Tom Morris Par 72, 6503 yards Wallasey Golf Club was founded in 1891 and, with its undulating fairways and sand dunes, it is a true links course. Overlooking Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea, it is open to the elements, in particular, the wind. It is one of the great links courses of the north, originally designed by Old Tom Morris and later altered by Alec Herd, Harold Hilton and James Braid. The course itself is a true test of golf, due in part to the prevailing north westerly winds and the variety of holes, made all the more interesting by the natural terrain. [BACK TO TOP] SUNNINGDALE Designed by: Willy Park Par 70, 6590 yards Sunningdale ranks as one of the premier clubs in England. Bobby Jones so loved the course that he took his cherished memories of Sunningdale back to the U.S. and incorporated many of them in his design of Augusta National. Sunningdale’s Old course, which opened in 1901, was designed by Willie Park. Virtually every hole is played in splendid – and beautiful – isolation, and in harmony with nature. [BACK TO TOP] WENTWORTH Designed by: H. S. Colt Par 72, 7050 yards Wentworth is home to three championship golf courses. This great triumvirate is in the Surrey heathland, surrounded by an ancient woodland of pine, oak and birch. Each course has its own charms, its own distinct identity and, presents its own unique challenge. The East and the West were designed by Harry Colt; the West was recently modernized by Wentworth’s touring professional Ernie Els. Wentworth is widely regarded as one of the best inland golf clubs in the U.K. and home to the HSBC World Matchplay Championship. [BACK TO TOP] North Foreland golf club North Foreland Golf Club, Broadstairs - situated on the Kent coast at the point where the English Channel becomes the North Sea, is a cliff top downland course that offers seaside golf at its very best. With a view of the sea from every tee and every green, North Foreland is a free running chalk downland course, and possibly Kent's premier all-year-round course - confirmed by the number of returning visitors and societies. Originally a nine hole course, it was expanded when Lord Northcliffe bought additional land in 1912 and employed Fowler & Simpson to design the full 18. [BACK TO TOP] Prince's golf club Prince's, with its 27 holes of championship Links has hosted the Open Championship and is currently an Open Qualifying Course. Prince's offers all that is best in modern links golf: a centrally located clubhouse offering magnificent views over the course and Pegwell Bay and helpful, attentive staff who understand your needs. [BACK TO TOP] royal st. george The Club is proud to have hosted many major tournaments, in addition to the Open Championship, for both Amateur and Professional golfers. These include: The Walker Cup, The Curtis Cup, The Amateur, the English Amateur, The PGA Championship, the Home Internationals and the Brabazon Trophy. Many of golf's most famous names have won tournaments here - Arnold Palmer won the PGA in 1975, reaching the 14th with two prodigious blows with his driver on a stormy day when no other competitor got closer than 40 yards from the green in two. [BACK TO TOP] royal cinque ports Royal Cinque Ports has been the scene of many Championships since that first Open and, since 1925, has been home every year to the Halford Hewitt Public Schools Championship. It is a place where all who visit leave with a feeling of having experienced something special and a desire to return. [BACK TO TOP]