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UK, England Golf Courses
Northwest
Royal Lytham & St Annes (6673 yds. Par 71)
(Lytham) This is one of the great seaside championship links of the British Isles, and one of the seven where the British Open is held regularly. A true links course, with fast running fairways, ground gathering towards strategically placed bunkers, and no end of trouble for the wayward shot. The club is rich in history, dating back to its foundation in 1886 and there is a charming air of timeless respectability.
Royal Birkdale (6305 yds. Par 71)
(Southport) Birkdale's fairways are flat but they form valleys between mighty sand dunes, providing a sturdy frame to a landscape embellished by a profusion of tenacious buckthorn and willow scrub. In the last 30 years, no club has hosted more major events, a clear mark of recognition, particularly among the professionals, that its lack of the eccentricities of some other seaside links is more to their liking.
Royal Liverpool (6840 yds. Par 72)
(Hoylake) The great Hoylake is seldom a question of love at first sight. As is the case with so many championship links courses, it is not physically attractive and rarely endears itself to the average golfer. However, it is without question a very grand links, and a life-long bond of respect and admiration soon begins to establish itself.
Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club (6603 yds. Par 72)
(Southport) Set amongst ranges of tall sandhills and smaller sand dunes, the Course is a true test of golf for all golfers. Accuracy is of ultimate importance and one needs to plan your drive rather than just hit it as far as possible. The coastal climate is kind and is a delightful atmosphere in which to play golf.
Formby Golf Club (6490 yds. Par 72)
(Formby) Founded in 1884, Formby is a magnificent traditional links of charm and elegance situated close by the shoreline of the Irish sea, near Southport. Accuracy is always required since the indigenous heather protects much of the rough and great caution is required whether this be off the tee, in approach shots, or on the green.
Hillside Golf Club (6850 yds. Par 72)
(Southport) Hillside's links golf course is surely one of the best links courses never to have hosted the Open. Situated next door to Royal Birkdale, it provides a peerless test of golf, which tests all the shots in a majestic setting. Even if you safely negotiate the start, there are plenty of testing and scenic holes to come. Much earth- moving, done in the 1960s, has produced one of the most scenic and testing links courses in the British Isles.
Hesketh Golf Club (6655 yds. Par 73)
(Southport) Set amidst the towering Victorian villas of Southport's premier residential area - Hesketh Park - is Hesketh Golf Club, the town's oldest golf club, founded in 1885. Standing alone on the crest of a tall sandhill, the clubhouse dominates the golf course, and the surrounding district. The course is at the northern end of south-west Lancashire`s sand dune system, which is the home of so many great golf courses. Professional championship golf has been played on these famous old links from the club`s earliest days, and the course is regularly used as a final qualifying course when The Open is played at Royal Birkdale.
Central
The Belfry (6905 yds. Par 72)
(The Belfry) The Belfry is the headquarters of the PGA and is situated in a 370 acre park, only 10 miles northeast of Birmingham. The two 18-hole courses, the Brabazon and the Derby, have been designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas. The Brabazon, a demanding championship course, has eleven holes on which one has to negotiate water. Streams and lakes are features of the courses and spectators have been taken into account.
Woodhall Spa Golf Club (6907 yds. Par 73)
(Woodhall Spa) This is one of the country's greatest and most beautiful heathland courses, founded in 1905 and originally laid out by Harry Vardon. It provides flat, easy walking amongst heather and tree-lined fairways and is renowned for its vast bunkers and clubhouse atmosphere.
Southeast
Royal St Georges Golf Club (6903 yds. Par 70)
(Sandwich) This course is the truest links you will find in all England and the Royal & Ancient, in its wisdom, chose this as one of The Open venues, knowing it will find the pedigree player at the end of a week. Close to the sea, overlooking Pegwell Bay, any kind of wind can make this man-size test even tougher. The sweeping rough at the 1 st can be daunting, so can the bunkers and the huge sand hills. But there are classic shots here.
Prince's Golf Club (9 holes - 3343 yds. Par 36)
(Sandwich) This is a 27-hole championship links of the highest calibre built in 3 loops of 9 holes from a modern clubhouse. The course represents all that is best in traditional links golf in the use of depression ridges and broken ground on a predominantly flat surface, with as little protection from the wind as possible. The three 18 hole combinations all demand the highest standard of distance judgement.
Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club (6785 yds. Par 72)
(Deal) This is a famous championship seaside links, windy but with easy walking. The outward nine is generally considered the easier. The inward nine is longer and includes the renowned 16th, perhaps the most difficult hole. On a fine day there are wonderful views across the Channel.
Parkstone Golf Club (6650 yds. Par 70)
(Poole Dorset) A beautiful and mature heathland course with lakes, standings of mature pines and a wide variety of wildlife together with panoramic views over Poole Harbour to Brownsea Island and the coastal downs of the Isle of Purbeck. Set within a few minutes drive of Poole and Bournemouth town centres and beaches, Parkstone offers the best in both golf and hospitality.
Metropolitan London
Wentworth Golf Club (6905 yds. Par 73)
(Virginia Water) Of all the inland courses in England, Wentworth is the most revered. Host to the Ryder Cup, the World Match Play, Dunlop Masters and so on, it personifies great inland golf the world over. the challenge, in terms of sheer yards, is enormous. But the qualities go beyond this, and include the atmosphere, the heathland, the silver birch and the fairway side homes.
Sunningdale Golf Club (6586 yds. Par 72)
(Ascot)The Old Course was designed by Willie Park Jr, a leading player and twice the winner of the Open Championship. He was engaged by the original committee of the Club in 1900 and the course opened for play in 1901. It retains a high ranking in courses around the world as a fine example of a heathland course. It was here in 1926 that Bobby Jones played his legendary round of 66, 33 out and 33 back in qualifying for the Open Championship which he went on to win.
Walton Heath Golf Club (6801 yds. Par 72)
(Walton-on-the-Hill) On an exposed heathland setting, some 700 feet above sea level and covered with bracken and heather, the courses are undoubtedly two of the finest of their type in England. Both are at the mercy of the winds which sweep across the Downs and both have wide greens, merciless bunkers and awkward rough.
The Berkshire Golf Club (6358 yds. Par 72)
(Ascot) The Club has hosted many Amateur events over the years, of note being The English Amateur Championships, The British Seniors Open Championships, the English Ladies' Close Amateur Championships, The English Senior Ladies' Matchplay Championships, the Women's Home Internationals and the Vagliano Trophy played between Great Britain and Ireland versus The Continent of Europe. In addition to hosting The London Amateur Foursomes every three years, the Club hosts two important Amateur events annually, The Berkshire Trophy for Gentlemen and The Lady Astor Salver for Ladies. The Berkshire has the unique distinction of having a golf course which has six Par 3s, six Par 4s and six Par 5s - The Red Course. Situated less than 20 miles from Central London and being very close to Heathrow Airport the Club is perfectly situated for visitors from overseas.
St. George's Hill Golf Club (6496 yds. Par 72)
(Weybridge) Designed by Harry Colt in 1912 and carved out of heather and pine woodland, St George's Hill comprises three very individual 9 hole loops, all starting and finishing by the clubhouse. Most Club Championship and major competitions are played over the better known Red and Blue nines. However, the Green nine, originally part of a second 18 hole layout, now compares very favourably with the other two, and many regard it as the most difficult nine due to its much tighter nature.
Royal Blackheath Golf Club (6219 yds. Par 70)
(London) Lying less than ten miles from central London, Royal Blackheath Golf Club is the oldest golf club in England, and possibly the world, having reputedly been instituted in 1608 by Scottish golfers who came south following the accession of King James I. The course itself, an excellent test of golf extending over 110 acres, is a shrewdly landscaped parkland layout comprising 18 holes of unique beauty and interest. Measuring little over 6,200 yards from the championship tees with a par of 70, the course is not long and can appear deceptively easy to the uninitiated eye. And while the greatest virtue of Royal Blackheath is that it is a delightful place to play golf, you can be assured that the course is far removed from being an easy challenge.
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