Best Golf Courses Near Liverpool — Lancashire Links and Beyond

There are stretches of coastline that exist in a different category entirely when it comes to golf. The Monterey Peninsula has its rugged Pacific cliffs. St Andrews sits at the beating heart of Scottish links tradition. And then there is the Lancashire coast north of Liverpool — a long, largely unbroken corridor of duneland that runs from Hoylake on the Wirral all the way up through Formby, Southport, and beyond. Within roughly 30 miles of Liverpool city centre, you will find more top-100 courses than almost anywhere else in England, and arguably more elite links golf per square mile than anywhere outside Fife.

I have been playing this stretch of coast for over two decades. I can tell you that on a clear summer evening, when the light goes golden over the Irish Sea and the air carries that particular smell of salt, thyme, and cut fescue, it produces a feeling that no inland course — however beautifully maintained — can quite replicate. If you are planning a golf trip from Liverpool, or visiting the city and want to understand what this part of England offers, this guide is for you.

The World-Class Venues

Royal Birkdale Golf Club

Southport | ~£250+ | Ballot system for visitor tee times

Royal Birkdale is the jewel in the crown. It has hosted more Open Championships than any course outside Scotland, and its reputation among professional golfers as the fairest Open venue on the rota is well-deserved. The course sits in a valley between towering sand dunes, and unlike some links courses where the terrain can feel arbitrary, Birkdale’s holes play through the valleys rather than over them — meaning the lie you earn from the fairway is usually a fair one.

The clubhouse is a listed Art Deco building, elegant and welcoming in equal measure. Visitor access is strictly managed through a ballot system: applications are submitted well in advance, and the club allocates times on specific visitor days, typically at weekends outside the summer season and on certain weekdays. Green fees sit at £250 and above for visitors.

If you are travelling specifically to play Birkdale, plan ahead. Contact the club secretary’s office several months in advance. The experience — walking fairways where Nicklaus, Player, Watson, Seve, Faldo, and Tiger have all competed — is worth every piece of planning required.

Royal Liverpool Golf Club (Hoylake)

Wirral Peninsula | ~£200+ | More accessible than Birkdale

Cross the Mersey to the Wirral Peninsula and you find Hoylake, where Royal Liverpool Golf Club has stood since 1869. This is one of the oldest golf clubs in England, and the course has a character entirely different from the Southport links — flatter, more exposed, with the sea and the Welsh mountains visible from various points on the course. Wind is everything here. A calm day at Hoylake plays quite differently from a day when the westerly is blowing in off the Dee Estuary.

Tiger Woods won the 2006 Open Championship here with an extraordinary round of course management, barely using a driver all week to avoid the notorious bunkers. It was a masterclass, and it put Hoylake back on the global golf map after a 39-year absence from the Open rota. The course has now hosted the Open multiple times since its return, and the improvements made for championship play — particularly around the loop of holes near the old racecourse ground — have made this one of the most thoughtfully presented Open venues in Britain.

Visitor access is more straightforward here than at Birkdale. Individual visitors and society groups can book in advance, and while the green fees are substantial, the club is genuinely welcoming to guests. If you can only play one Open venue on a Liverpool trip, Hoylake may be the more achievable option.

The Links You Really Shouldn’t Miss

Hillside Golf Club

Southport | Championship quality | Open qualifying venue

This is the course I find myself recommending most urgently to visiting golfers, and the one that consistently surprises them most. Hillside sits immediately behind Royal Birkdale — the two courses effectively share a boundary — and yet it attracts a fraction of the attention. This is partly snobbery, partly name recognition, and entirely unjustified.

The back nine at Hillside, threading through towering dune ridges with views that stretch to the sea, is as good as anything in the north of England. It regularly serves as an Open qualifying venue precisely because it provides a proper championship examination. Green fees are considerably lower than its famous neighbour, visitor access is good throughout the season, and the clubhouse is hospitable. If you are building a Southport itinerary, Hillside should be on it.

Formby Golf Club

Formby, Lancashire | Private with guest days | James Braid design

Formby is one of England’s great private golf clubs, and the fact that it sits beside a National Nature Reserve famous for its red squirrel population gives it a setting that is genuinely unlike any other links in the country. In late summer, you might see a squirrel dart across a fairway. The red squirrels of Formby have become something of a local legend — and rightly so, since they have survived here when they have been pushed out of much of England.

The course itself is a James Braid design and plays through mature Scots pines at its inland edge before opening out into more classic links terrain. The combination of woodland and duneland gives it a variety of character that pure links courses sometimes lack. Guest days are available for non-members, and the club also has a separate Ladies’ course of high quality. If you can secure a spot on a guest day, take it.

West Lancashire Golf Club

Blundellsands | Traditional Lancashire links | Open qualifying venue

West Lancs, as it is universally known, sits at Blundellsands on the northern edge of the Merseyside conurbation. It is a traditional Lancashire links — natural in its layout, firm and fast in the right conditions, and with a history stretching back to 1873. It serves as an Open qualifying venue and has produced its share of scratch amateurs over the years.

What makes West Lancs particularly valuable in the context of a Liverpool golf trip is relative value. Green fees here are meaningfully lower than at the Open Championship venues, while the quality of golf is still comfortably in the top tier of English links. The course is exposed and the rough can be savage when it is allowed to grow — but that is simply what traditional links golf demands.

Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club

Southport | Ryder Cup history | Good visitor access

Southport & Ainsdale — S&A to those who know the Southport links — hosted the Ryder Cup in 1933 and 1937, the latter a victory for Great Britain that still stands as one of the few British Ryder Cup wins of the twentieth century. The course is demanding, with significant dune movement and fairways that require accurate positioning. Visitor access is relatively good compared to some of its neighbours, and the club welcomes societies.

It is not as immediately dramatic as Hillside or Birkdale, but it has genuine pedigree and a character all its own. The history alone makes it worth including on any serious links pilgrimage.

Historical Gems

Wallasey Golf Club

Wirral | Birthplace of the Stableford scoring system

Wallasey occupies a unique place in golf history as the club where Dr Frank Stableford devised the Stableford scoring system in 1931. The format — now one of the most widely played in recreational golf worldwide — was conceived to help handicap golfers enjoy their rounds rather than being ruined by a single bad hole. The club has a plaque and artefacts relating to Stableford’s invention, and the course itself is a solid links overlooking the Irish Sea.

Playing Wallasey is a genuine piece of pilgrimage for anyone interested in the history of the game. The course is challenging without being punishing, and visitor access is available throughout the week.

Hesketh Golf Club

Southport | Traditional seaside golf

Hesketh is one of Southport’s older clubs, founded in 1885, and it provides a more accessible entry point to Southport links golf than the marquee venues. It has a traditional layout, a welcoming membership, and green fees that make it an ideal choice for a casual day’s play alongside a more prestigious fixture.

Accessible and Municipal Options

Not every round of golf needs to cost the price of a short holiday. Liverpool and its surrounding area have several courses that offer genuine quality at accessible prices.

Allerton Municipal Golf Course in Liverpool itself is a city council-run course that serves as an excellent introduction to golf in the area. Green fees run at around £18 for visitors, the parkland course is well-maintained by municipal standards, and it is directly accessible by public transport.

Ormskirk Golf Club in Lancashire offers traditional parkland golf at sensible prices for those who prefer a break from links golf. It is a solid club with a good community feel.

Getting There

The Southport corridor is the natural axis for a Liverpool links trip. From central Liverpool, the M57 and M58 motorways connect quickly to the Southport area — typically under 45 minutes. Merseyrail provides an excellent rail alternative: the Southport Line runs from Liverpool Central to Southport station in around 50 minutes, and Formby station is an easy walk or short taxi from Formby Golf Club. For Hoylake and the Wirral courses, the Merseyrail Wirral Line runs from Liverpool Central to Hoylake, making Royal Liverpool Golf Club accessible without a car.

If you are visiting from further afield, Liverpool John Lennon Airport is the obvious arrival point, with major road links to the M57 and M58 corridors.

When to Visit

The Lancashire links are at their best from late May through September. Summer conditions allow the links to firm up, producing the running golf that makes the game here so distinctive — bump-and-run approaches, bouncing drives, shots that use the ground as well as the air. The coastal light in July and August can be spectacular, and with long evenings, late tee times become genuinely enjoyable.

That said, spring and autumn visits have their own character. Spring brings the gorse into yellow bloom across the dunes, and October rounds on firm fairways in crisp air are among the finest experiences English golf offers. Winter is absolutely possible — the links drain well — but expect short days and the ever-present chance of a westerly gale making scoring something of an adventure.

Green Fees at a Glance

Course	Approx. Visitor Fee
Royal Birkdale	£250+
Royal Liverpool (Hoylake)	£200+
Hillside	£100–£150
Formby	Guest days, check with club
West Lancashire	£80–£120
Southport & Ainsdale	£70–£100
Wallasey	£50–£80
Hesketh	£40–£60
Allerton Municipal	~£18

Green fees are approximate and subject to change. Always confirm directly with the club.

Planning Your Liverpool Golf Break

A suggested two-day itinerary for a serious links trip:

Day One: Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) in the morning — book the earliest tee time available, allow yourself to walk the course without rushing, and take in the history at the plaque-adorned clubhouse. Afternoon: drive north to play Wallasey for a more relaxed round with a historical bonus.

Day Two: Head to Southport. Morning tee time at Hillside — arguably the best-value championship links round you will play in the north of England. If legs and light allow, a late afternoon at Southport & Ainsdale completes an extraordinary two-day stretch.

For those who have secured a Royal Birkdale ballot tee time, build the trip around it. Treat everything else as the supporting act.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can visitors play Royal Birkdale without being a member or guest of a member? Yes, but via a ballot system for designated visitor days. Contact the club well in advance — months, not weeks.

Is a car essential for a Liverpool golf trip? Not entirely. Merseyrail covers Hoylake and Formby. But for Southport and the range of courses there, a car is much more practical.

What is the best month to visit for links golf conditions? July and August for the longest days and firmest ground. Late September for quieter courses and lower fees at some clubs.

Are there good accommodation options near Southport? Southport has a good range of hotels, guesthouses, and self-catering options. The town itself is pleasant and golf-focused during the summer months.

Is the Ainsdale area accessible from Liverpool by train? Merseyrail’s Southport Line stops at Ainsdale station, which is within walking distance of Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club.

The Lancashire links coast is not merely one of England’s great golfing regions — it is one of the world’s great golfing regions. The concentration of top-quality links within a 30-mile corridor is simply extraordinary. Whether you are coming specifically for Royal Birkdale or building a broader trip around the range of clubs on offer, you will leave understanding why golfers keep returning here year after year.