Hesketh Golf Club

BOOK TEE TIMES ONLINE NOW!
Hesketh is the oldest golf club in Southport, established in 1885. Part links and part parkland, it is set among the Victorian villas of a residential area at the northern end of South West Lancashire's sand dune system. Another of the Northwest golf courses to be designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Hesketh sits beside a nationally renowned nature reserve, the seabirds and otherwildlife providing an added attraction for visitors.

Professional championship golf has been played at Hesketh from the early days. It is regularly chosen as a Qualifying venue when The Open is played at nearby Royal Birkdale. The club has also hosted county and national championships and top events in ladies golf, as well as the Lancashire Amateur Open, Lancashire Ladies Amateur Open, and the British Senior Amateur Championship.

In 2008 Hesketh hosted the R&A Junior Open Championship with 110 children from over 70 different countries.

Hesketh is scheduled to host the Centenary Lancashire Amateur Championship in 2010 the English under 14 Championship also in 2010 and is co-hoting the British Amateur in 20011 together with Hillside Golf Club.

Hesketh is well established in the history of golf, the English Golf Union has its roots here, the initiative came from a former Hesketh Captain who went on to become the Union's first president. Among the famous names to play at Hesketh is Henry Cotton, who set a course record of 68 in 1932 and not forgetting the Bentley brothers, Harry and Arnold, often described as the most illustrious pair of brothers in the history of the amateur game. In fact Arnold went on to lead the British triumph at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, leaving Hitler decidedly unimpressed that the Germans could not demonstrate their superiority. Unusually, Arnold was presented with a fir tree along with his prize, and to this day, it sits outside the clubhouse, part of the folklore of the club.

The Amateur Course Record of 67 by Mike Kanski (Hesketh) 6th July 2002. The distinctive challenge of the course is that half of the holes meander through tall sand dunes, while the others border the Ribble estuary. Some of the best holes lie between the sandhills and the clubhouse, particularly the eighteenth which is long and a great finishing hole. The club offers visiting golfers a year-round series of open competitions, as well as hosting a week-long golfing festival. The clubhouse sits on the crest of a sandhill, overlooking the course and surrounding areas. Visitors are always given a warm welcome and the famous Bentley Room, full of unique memorabilia of the brothers' achievements is not to be missed.