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Southport's Reputation as England's Golfing Capital is Well Deserved

Southport plays hosts to the famous Royal Birkdale, which is the favoured venue for the Open Championship taking place in 2008. It is situated just a short drive of both Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham St. Annes and also boasts a further three championship standard courses and 21 glories parkland courses all within a short drive of the town centre.

With Southport as its Capital, England's Golf Coast has an extremely rich and diverse golfing pedigree stretching the length of the Northwest of England. In addition to Royal Birkdale there's Formby, Hesketh, Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale and West Lancashire. Many have hosted top tournaments including the Ryder Cup, Curtis Cup as well as the Open.

Truly great deeds have been performed on Southport courses by golfing legends such as Harry Varden, J H Taylor, James Braid (the first golfer to win the Open five times) and Tom Watson (another five times winner), through to modern greats such as Tiger Woods.

The stunning seaside coastal resort of Southport offers visitors that perfect destination for that relaxing weekend or short break. In the town centre, the elegance of Lord Street, with its tree-lined boulevards, glass canopied shops and stunning Wayfarers Arcade, is always a favourite with visitors. Southport is one of the Northwest's leading shopping destinations, offering an outstanding collection of speciality shops and designer boutiques as well as the usual popular high street names. And if it's traditional markets you're after, don't miss the Market Hall and popular Farmer's Market, held on the last Thursday of every month. The new Marine Way Bridge, which links the town centre to the seafront, is a stunning piece of architecture and has become a key landmark. So is Southport's famous Promenade, surrounded by parks, gardens and scenic Marine Lake, a favourite amongst water sports enthusiasts. Other seafront attractions include Pleasureland, which with over 100 rides and attractions (including five rollercoasters!) is one of the UK's largest amusement parks. Southport is also famous for its Pier which is the oldest surviving iron Pier's in the UK and is also the second longest. It also offers visitors state-of-the-art Pier Tram, the only one of its kind in the world and a modern Pier Pavilion which is also very popular with visitors.

 

For a bit of culture, you can't beat the Atkinson Art Gallery housed within the Southport Arts Centre on Lord Street, which displays a range of Victorian works as well as paintings by artists including LS Lowry and Henry Moore.

Southport's glorious parks and gardens provide an ideal spot for a picnic, while its 22 miles of stunning coastline provides a haven for many rare examples of flora, fauna and wildlife, including one of the UK's few remaining colonies of red squirrels at Formby Point

Ainsdale has been listed as one of the top ten beaches in the UK and consistently achieves recognition through the Seaside Awards scheme. The Sefton Coast is also recognised as one of Britain's premier birdwatching locations. For outdoor enthusiasts, walkers and cyclists can choose from many popular routes including the Trans Pennine Trail and popular Sefton Coastal Path.

With its wide range of superb accommodation, restaurants, bars and cafes, entertainment from cinemas, theatre or casinos, Southport is sophisticated, cosmopolitan, vibrant, fun and caters for every taste!

For more information on Southport go to www.visitsouthport.com

England's Northwest