Royal Lytham & St Annes

The layout of Royal Lytham & St Annes has remained faithful to the original created by the Club’s first Professional, George Lowe, over a century ago. However, significant changes were made to the course in 1919 by Harry Colt. Over the next four years he repositioned some of the greens and tees, added numerous bunkers, and lengthened the course. The course is now regarded as one of the best in the world, currently #61 in GOLF Magazine’s Top 100.

The club is surrounded by suburban housing and flanked by a railway line. Although, it is not a conventionally beautiful golf course, it does have a charm all of its own. A Links Course that is not on the sea yet close enough for the sea breeze to effect one’s game. Royal Lytham & St Annes was aptly described by Bernard Darwin, the leading golf writer of the thirties, as ‘a beast of a Course, but a just beast’. He later said, ‘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’.

Ryder Cup Captain Mark James wrote:

“And Lytham was set up magnificently in 2001 (for the Open Championship), perfect for the world’s premier golfing event. I do not think they could have prepared that Course better. It was a perfect combination of width of fairways, length of rough and pace and quality of greens. It should be used as a model for future Opens. Everyone who knows Lytham knew that it would be the one Course where Tiger Woods would not have a big advantage because of the distance he hits, as there are relatively few holes where you can carry the trouble. Tiger could not tame it”.

Royal Lytham & St Annes is known as a course that can frustrate even the greatest of golfers. After all, there are 206 bunkers peppering the fairways and surrounding the greens. Test your skill at the magnificent course along with the other great courses England’s Golf Coast has to offer here.