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EnglandsGolfCoast - Golf at its Best

Soccer legend, Alan Hansen, and former European Tour winner, Paul Eales, select their favourite courses on England's Golf Coast.

Top BBC commentator and soccer legend Alan Hansen has trodden many of the world's finest fairways - including Augusta National, home of The Masters - but if he could play only one course for the rest of his life he'd opt for one that's virtually on his doorstep.

"I can't think of a better course than Hillside," says Hansen, the former Liverpool and Scotland defender who lives only a short distance from the course near Southport. "I might be biased, being a member there, but it really is a fantastic layout - easily one of the best in the country - and its back nine is second to none."

Hillside is often said to be the best course in Britain never to have hosted the Open Championship. Greg Norman is a big fan and once declared that the back nine was the best he had ever played. The opening few holes are bordered by the railway line and the course twists and turns in every direction, providing a fantastic test of golf.

"I don't play golf for fun you know - I'm far too competitive. Hillside is a really stern test and I love that."

Hansen, a 2-handicapper and a former Scottish Boys international, still can't quite believe that his home not only has Hillside on its doorstep but is, in fact, surrounded by a whole host of courses that are not only some of the best in the country but among the finest in the world.

Within just half an hour's drive of Southport town centre there are six championship standard golf courses and within one hour's drive there are another 160 great courses. So it's not surprising the region's reputation as the golf capital of the country is growing fast, attracting more and more visitors each year from around the United Kingdom and from overseas.
"Hillside is only one of many great courses in this area," adds Hansen. "You've got Hillside, then Royal Birkdale right next door and then Southport and Ainsdale, all in a row along the same stretch of coastline. I can't think of anywhere else in the world where you can find three truly great courses literally neighbouring each other."

Royal Birkdale is, of course, a regular Open Championship venue and the best-known course in the immediate area. It last hosted The Open in 1998 when Mark O'Meara lifted the Claret Jug and a certain 17-year-old amateur called Justin Rose stunned everyone by holing his wedge shot at the last to claim a fourth place in the Championship. It is still remembered as the venue for the famous 1961 Open during which Arnold Palmer played what seemed like an impossible shot on his way to victory. Playing the 15th hole, he hit a truly remarkable 6-iron shot out of thick rough onto the green 140 yards away. A commemorative plaque now marks the spot from where the shot was played. It was also the venue for the memorable 1969 Ryder Cup, when Jack Nicklaus conceded a four-foot putt to Tony Jacklin to halve the contest after a hard fought battle. The Open returns to Royal Birkdale ion 2008.

Five-time Open Champion, James Braid, designed Southport and Ainsdale better known locally as S&A - and it hosted the Ryder Cup in 1933 and 1937. Its layout has been changed slightly over the years but it's still a great test of golf and a pure links golf experience. Nearby is Southport Old Links, a fine test of golf tucked away on the outskirts of the town of Southport. Its nine holes are regarded by many as one of the nicest, but toughest, in England. It's never spoken of in the same breath as Royal Birkdale or Hillside but the membership has a reputation for being down to earth and very friendly - and the Clubhouse is known for its fine food.

Courses like S&A and many others in the region are overshadowed by Birkdale's huge reputation, says Hansen. "Visitors to the area won't have a problem having a truly great time - there really are so many great courses on offer. But a lot of people come here and only think of playing Royal Birkdale and there are many more courses that are virtually unheard of that are almost, or just, as good."

"Ormskirk, for example, is a great track and Hesketh is another one you shouldn't miss - it's an Open qualifying course and has some great holes.

"Formby is another world class course, which offers some great views over the Irish Sea and is always in top condition. Then, further on, is West Lancs and Royal Liverpool. I also love Royal Lytham. For me that's right up there with Hillside and Birkdale. I brought a party of eight Americans over last year to play those three courses and they couldn't believe the quality of the golf the area had to offer. There really is something for everybody."

European Tour professional, Paul Eales, who lives in Freckleton near Lytham, agrees.

"This part of the world is as good as anywhere, right up there with areas like St Andrews, no question, especially when you're putting courses like Birkdale, Hillside and West Lancashire into the pot - and we haven't even mentioned Formby yet, which is an absolutely sensational place to play golf. If you go further south you have Wallasey and Royal Liverpool. That's a heck of a line-up of golf courses."

Royal Liverpool is, arguably, steeped in even more history than Royal Birkdale. Also known as Hoylake, it hosted the first Walker Cup match in 1921. It was also where Bobby Jones won the Open Championship in 1930 - his 'Grand Slam' year. Hoylake is built on what was the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club and is the oldest of all the English seaside courses with the exception of Westward Ho! in Devon, which pre-dates it by only five years.

It is a traditional links course which is usually battered by the sea breezes. It offers a great mixture of par-3, 4 and 5 holes with varying degrees of menace. The fairways are undulating, deceptively narrow and the greens are always of the highest quality.

When not playing on Tour, Eales still bases himself at nearby Royal Lytham and St Annes, a links course that he rates as highly as any he's played. He was an assistant professional at Royal Lytham in the late 80s and he started his golf career as an assistant professional at Southport Municipal in 1987.

"I'm very familiar with all the courses in this region from playing on the Lancashire amateur scene," he says. "It's just a spectacular golfing area and a treat for any golfer because you have so many different levels of courses on that coastline. You have the raw, rugged, West Lancashire, which I believe is one of the most underrated courses I've ever played, up to the sheer magnitude of Royal Birkdale which is known around the world."
The 6,800-yard, par-72, West Lancashire course covers 220 acres of wind-swept natural sand dunes, which requires a handful of blind shots. The prevailing wind, together with its firm, smallish greens conspire to make West Lancashire the sternest test for players of all abilities.

"West Lancashire is fantastic layout right on the edge of the edge of the Mersey near Liverpool," says Eales. "There are some big dunes and some truly stunning holes and it is a very stern test when the Open qualifying is held there - it usually produces the highest scores of all the qualifying courses.

"And then you've got Southport Municipal which offers a really interesting round for experienced and beginner golfers alike, and Hillside, which happens to be my personal favourite. It's semi-parkland for the front nine holes and then you play the back nine between the dunes and the pine trees - it's just a wonderful place to play golf.

"I'd advise anyone visiting the area to also play Hesketh, a great course where you play through marshland but for one and two and then fourteen to eighteen you play around the clubhouse and through the dunes. It's just a delight to play."

Eales, Hansen and many other local golfers know all about the quality of the golf, the stunning scenery, the sea and sand and wild nature of England's Northwest. So, increasingly, will visitors, now that this part of the world is being promoted collectively as "England's Golf Coast". That's an extravagant claim, admittedly, but one that few will argue about given the standard of golf on offer.

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England's Northwest