WEST LANCASHIRE GOLF CLUB - 16 POINTS
In recent years the north-west of England has taken on the title of ‘England’s Golf Coast’ and, given the quality and variety of golf on offer, that tile is well deserved. The big guns in the area are Hoylake, Birkdale and Lytham but it would be a crying shame to visit the area and not play West Lancashire (known to all as West Lancs).
I had always had West Lancs on my list of courses to play but it went higher up the list when Chris Solomon shared his ten favourite courses with me, featuring West Lancs. I found myself in the area on a summer’s afternoon and booked a tee time online. The welcome I got was really warm - both from the pro in the shop and the members I met. There was a real pride in the course from everyone I met which was great to see.
This isn’t the longest course in the world - a 6,246 yard par 71 from the main men’s tees, although it can be lengthened when one of the regular top amateur events visits. There are actually five sets of tees and the pros will guide you to the ones that will help you enjoy the course the most. My advice would be to listen to them - getting this right will be key to your enjoyment.
There are two key defences to the course. The pro gave me a few words of warning, advising me to prioritise accuracy over length as the rough was a bit gnarly. Oh, that I had listened to him a little more! “A bit gnarly” was an understatement - it was lethal, especially on the early holes.
The other defence is the really impressive green complexes. The course is characterised by extremely well bunkered greens and clever run-off areas galore. On top of that, many of the greens sit on crowns which mean that anything but a precise approach is likely to end up off the green leaving a really tricky shot to the pin.
The fourth is a lovely par 3, well protected with a rolling green
I didn’t take sufficient heed of the pro’s advice in the early holes but there was still lots to enjoy. The second is a 470 yard par 5 with really well-placed centre line bunkers from the tee. Whether you try to go for the green in two or lay up, you need to be careful of the hidden bunker 40 yards short of the green. There are also two more devilish bunkers to contend with at the green whether you go for it in two or three. It’s a good example of what makes West Lancs such an enjoyable course - you need to put your thinking cap on and then execute with precision.
The third is a cracking par 3. From an elevated tee you are hitting to a really well protected green, pot bunkers galore, and a green that moves from back to front and left to right. Getting the ball to stay on this green takes a good shot and any miss will really test you.
The fourth has OOB on the left and it was a lost ball for me in a dense area of rough in a swale on the right. It’s a hole I would love to play again!
The quality of the front 9 keeps building as the theme of well placed bunkers and clever greens continues.
You return to the clubhouse after 9 holes and if anything the back 9 raises the quality even further. I always like a golf hole that runs alongside a railway track and the 11th does just that. It’s great fun seeing the trains roll past with nervous looking passengers watching as you hit!
The next few holes are probably the very best on the property. The 12th is a 170 yard par 3 up the hill to a geen protected by bunkers at the front, so an extra club is a sensible play here. The 13th is maybe the signature hole on the course. The view from the tee over the Mersey to the mountains of Wales is just fantastic and the hole is great fun too. It’s a 358 yard par 4 where, as long as you avoid the bunkers on the left from the tee, you will have a mid-iron into a pretty small green. Unusually for West Lancs, there are no bunkers protecting this green so you can run one in. But don’t be deceived, precision is still required as there is a steep run-off to the left and banking to the right. Such a fun hole.
The 14th green needs a long iron to carry all the way to give a chance of a regulation par
The 14th is a long par 4, and stroke index 1. When I posted on Twitter that I would be playing West Lancs, some helpful soul told me the line on this blind tee shot was the church spire. I nailed one on the line and was just OK on the right of the fairway. A few yards to the left would have been better as the hole is a dogleg around to the right. From there you have a long approach to an elevated green that is well protected with a steep slope short and left and a wood to the right.
There are more trees at the 15th, on the right from the tee, but go too far left and you will go over the wall OB. Accuracy is your friend on this hole with both your drive and approach. This is a great green, sloping front to back with blind bunkers short left and long right. It’s a great example of a hole that requires you to think your way round it.
I really like the variety of the finishing holes, with a par 5, 3 and 4 to come. None of them are easy holes, but 16 and 17 provided birdie opportunities, while 18 was a classic links finishing hole - a long par 4 overlooked by the clubhouse where a running links shot gives you a chance of getting onto the long green. It was nice to finish with a par here, with the members looking down from the terrace above. A great way to finish.
It was definitely been a game of two halves for me. I was 10 over par on the 8th tee and finished 12 over! Partly that was because my swing improved, but it was also helped by the brutal rough of those early holes thinning out a bit.
I can’t recommend a round at West Lancs enough. It may not have the glamour of some the big names in the area, and you aren’t treated to much in the way of the coastal views you might want at a links course, but there is something pretty special about the club and course. It’s an old-fashioned, high quality links test. The green complexes are really a joy to explore and the conditioning was fantastic. Add the warm welcome and this becomes a must play for anyone exploring England’s Golf Coast.
BOOKING THE COURSE
West Lancs scorecard
You can book the course online on the website here. Tee times are available 7 days a week all year round which makes this a good course to ‘fit in’ around some of the more restrictive Open rota courses. The green fees range from £100 a person in the winter midweek to £225 a person on the summer weekends. However, if you are creative you can bring the cost down a fair amount. There are Open competitions on the website which you can play in the summer for around £70 and there are various day ticket deals too if you fancy 2 rounds. The West Lancs website is one of the best around so if you are thinking of a trip I would encourage you to have a good look to find a time and price that suits you.
Prices correct as of August 2023.
TOUR TIPS
West Lancs is halfway between Liverpool and Southport so you could base yourself in either depending on what other courses you are playing and what kind of nightlife/accommodation you are after. Southport is definitely more traditional that Liverpool and the selection of hotels is mainly focussed on guesthouses and B&Bs. Liverpool with have pretty much everything you can think of!
You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to the courses around here. Royal Birkdale (close to Southport) is one of my favourite courses anywhere and would be the pick of the crop. However, if you are Liverpool-based then Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) would also be a fantastic course to add.
If you are concentrating on the Southport side then Hillside, Formby and Southport and Ainsdale are the other top courses to consider. If you are Liverpool side then Wallasey is worth looking at too.
The England’s Golf Coast Website has some packages to consider - they’re particularly good for off-season deals which will save you some money.
CONTACT DETAILS
The West Lancashire Golf Club
Hall Road West
Blundellsands
Liverpool
L23 8SZ
Phone - +44 (0) 151 924 1076
Email - golf@westlancashiregolf.co.uk
Web - www.westlancashiregolf.co.uk/
