Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Affectionately known as ‘Hoylake’ by locals and members after its hometown, Royal Liverpool Golf Club offers exceptional play for your England golf vacation. The course has hosted 12 Open Championships, most recently in 2023.

While the list of Open winners here is not long, due to it being off the rota from 1967 to 2006, Royal Liverpool is best known for its contributions to amateur golf. The course is the only venue to produce two amateur Open championship winners.

Local golf hero and member of Royal Liverpool, John Ball, was the first amateur and Englishman to hoist the trophy when he won the 1890 Open Championship. The unofficial first Amateur Championship was held at Royal Liverpool in 1885, while the first official event was held in St Andrews the following year.

In 1902, Royal Liverpool hosted the first international match between England and Scotland, which evolved into the popular Home International Matches. Championships aside, Royal Liverpool is an exceptional English golf club. When you’re done playing, check out some of the city’s best cultural attractions, infamous sights, and major landmarks.

The course has evolved from its humble beginnings, sharing the linksland with a popular racetrack and the Liverpool Hunt Club, into the pride of England Golf. The course has been altered by the greats of golf architecture over the years from Robert Chambers and George (brother of Old Tom) Morris, Harry Colt, and most recently Martin Ebert ahead of the 2023 Open Championship.

The course has been extending to a length of 7,350 yards, the par 5 16th has been stretched to 611 yards alone, and a completely new par 3, 15th hole (the old 13th). To the members’ approval, Ebert also replaced 14 bunkers and built a new 17th green.

The course is rather flat and therefore unprotected from the wind that blows in from the Dee Estuary. It is a bit funky with interior out-of-bounds caused by the practice ground being bordered by the first and 16th holes. During the Open, the 17th and 18th are used as the 1st and 2nd holes respectively to alleviate that issue and the practice ground is used to erect the viewing stands.

England’s Golf Coast with Royal Liverpool Golf Club and its fellow “Royals” and Open venues – Birkdale and Lytham St Annes make for a memorable England golf tour.