Lancashire & Merseyside Coast
Overview
England's premier Open Championship coastline, spanning Royal Birkdale on the Sefton dunes, Royal Liverpool across the Dee Estuary on the Wirral, and Royal Lytham & St Annes on the Fylde coast.
Why Play Golf Here
Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), and Royal Lytham & St Annes anchor this stretch of the North West England coast — three Open Championship venues within a couple of hours' drive of each other. Royal Birkdale is an eleven-time Open host among the Sefton dunes, hosting The 154th Open in 2026; Royal Liverpool is one of the game's oldest clubs, most recently hosting The Open in 2023; and Royal Lytham & St Annes, on the Fylde coast near Blackpool, has hosted eleven Open Championships of its own. Together they give visiting golfers a genuine multi-course championship links experience without travelling to Scotland.
- Best time to visit
- May to September for the most settled weather and firmest links conditions; spring and early autumn can also play well when the wind is manageable.
- Nearest airports
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) — approximately 21 miles / 45 minutes' drive, most convenient for Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool, Blackpool Airport (BLK) — closest airport to Royal Lytham & St Annes, around 2.4 miles / 10 minutes' drive
- Recommended stay
- 3–4 nights
Featured Courses
Where to stay
Southport
Southport is the obvious base for a Royal Birkdale trip — the course sits at the southern edge of the town, and the wider Sefton coast is one of England's most concentrated links golf regions. The town itself retains a traditional English seaside character, with Lord Street's Victorian architecture and a genuine pier adding some non-golf interest for a short stay.
- Golf access
- Royal Birkdale is on the southern edge of Southport, a few minutes from the town centre by car or taxi.
- Restaurants & evenings
- Southport's Lord Street and the wider town centre have a solid range of restaurants, cafés and traditional English pubs.
- Families
- Southport's seafront, pier, and Victorian town centre give non-golfing companions plenty to do within walking distance of most accommodation.
Hoylake / West Kirby
Hoylake is the natural base for Royal Liverpool, sitting directly alongside the course on the Wirral peninsula across the Dee Estuary from Wales. It has a quieter, more village-like character than Southport, with West Kirby just along the coast offering additional dining options. Golfers combining Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool in one trip can use either town as a base, with the drive between the two courses taking under an hour via the Mersey crossings.
- Golf access
- Royal Liverpool sits directly in Hoylake, on the Wirral peninsula, with West Kirby a few minutes further along the coast.
- Restaurants & evenings
- Hoylake and West Kirby have a smaller but solid range of pubs, cafés and restaurants, with a more village-like character than Southport.
- Families
- The Wirral coastline and the West Kirby marine lake offer walking and watersports options for non-golfing companions.
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is the natural base for Royal Lytham, with the course woven directly into the town's residential streets rather than set apart on open duneland. The town itself has a genteel, Georgian character quite different from Blackpool a few miles north, and golfers travelling on to Southport or the Wirral face a drive of roughly 45–60 minutes around the Ribble estuary.
- Golf access
- Royal Lytham & St Annes sits within the town itself, unusually bordered by residential streets rather than open dunes.
- Restaurants & evenings
- Lytham's Georgian-era town centre has a good range of restaurants, cafés and traditional pubs along its green and seafront.
- Families
- Lytham Green, the windmill, and the wider Fylde coast — including Blackpool's attractions a short drive north — give non-golfing companions plenty of options.