Northern England

Module 1 “Play the Open Championship Courses”

Module 2 “Designed by the famous Doctor”

Module 1 - “Play the Open Championship Courses”

In England there are four courses that are on the current British Open Championship rota. Three of them are on the North West coast, a stretch of sand dunes covering about 40 miles. They start just south of Liverpool, where you will find Royal Liverpool Golf Club. Southport is the middle location, a good base and home to Royal Birkdale. A short distance north is the third Open venue Royal Lytham. You therefore have the unique opportunity to play these three famous courses that have staged 30 Open Championships and four Ryder Cup tournaments. This coast has many other highly ranked courses that are mainly close to Southport so an alternative is to stay in Southport and play Royal Birkdale and some of the other courses, Hillside, Southport and Ainsdale or Formby.

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The Royal Clifton Hotel & Spa in Southport is noted for its exceptional range of facilities and excellent standards of service. There is a choice of bedrooms including a variety of spacious family rooms and suites. Included in all rooms are a hospitality tray, trouser press, telephone, internet and multi channel TV facilities. Room service menu choice. Extras including, flowers, baskets of fruits, chocolates, champagne and others are also available when making your booking. You will enjoy the quality and selection of food served in The Pavilion Restaurant and more relaxed Conservatory Bistro and Bar. The hotel has superb health club & spa facilities and a wide range of beauty and health treatments.

Royal Birkdale, Southport was formed in 1889 and is often ranked No.1 in England. A wonderful test of links golf, although not particularly long, Birkdale requires a high degree of accuracy from tee to green to score well. The club has staged nine British Open Championships, the last in 2008 and has also hosted the Ryder Cup twice. Winners include Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Mark O Meara and Padraig Harrigton. (6726 yards, par 72).

Royal Lytham St Anne’s (picture top of page). The club was founded in 1886 and granted is royal title by King George V in time for the first open to be staged there in 1926, Bobby Jones won when he made his now famous long iron shot out of a bunker. After the tournament Jones presented the iron to the Royal Lytham club. Since then ten more British Open Championships have been held on the links. It has a collection of superbly designed holes that test every aspect of your game. The unusual par-3 opening hole sets the scene, as it requires an accurate long iron to avoid the first nine of Lytham's fabled 200 bunkers. The club has also hosted 2 Ryder Cup matches. (6882 yards, par 71).

Royal Liverpool, Hoylake is the second oldest links in England being founded in 1869. It has hosted 11 British Open Championships. Famous winners have been J.H. Taylor, Bobby Jones in the second leg of his Grand Slam in 1930, Peter Thompson with his third successive victory in 1956 and Roberto de Vincenzo in 1967. It is a links that demands accuracy and patience. There is a lot of fairway bunkering that requires careful course management and being deep they can cost you at least a shot. The clubhouse is full of historic memorabilia. (7528 yards, par 73).

Hillside Golf Club is alongside Royal Birkdale, amongst the same stretch of sand-hills. It has been ranked #2 in England and the second nine is very spectacular since being re-shaped in 1967. It is a true links course where the holes meander through majestic sand hills following the contours of the dunes and valleys. But, Hillside is more subtle than a traditional links, with tranquil pinewoods to enhance the visual impact of several holes. The club has hosted Professional and Amateur Championships including the European PGA. (6850 yards, par 72).

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Formby is located within the sand hills and pinewoods and is known for the quality of the front nine. Accuracy is required throughout since the indigenous heather forms much of the rough and great caution is required whether this be off the tee, in approach shots, or on the green. It is unusual for a links as it has many trees making a fine contrast to the more traditional links nearby. The club is unique in Britain because membership is only available to men, however Formby Ladies Golf Club is located on the same links. (7028 yards, par 72).

Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club is a true championship links with a profusion of heather and gorse providing a challenging and immensely enjoyable experience. The club has hosted two Ryder Cup matches in 1933 and 1937 and a number of other prestigious championships including The British Ladies Open and The British Amateur. It remains a final qualifying course for The Open Championship. All the holes are of championship standard and no two are the same. However, if one had to be singled out it would, be the sixteenth. This famous hole has a great hill and bunkers, lined with railway sleepers and is a cunning trap, catching poor second shots. It is called ‘Gumbleys’, after a gentleman who spent some time in there! (6603 yards, par 72).

Module 2 “Designed by the famous Doctor”

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The Royal York Hotel is ideally located beneath the city's ancient walls. It is within walking distance of the city centre where you can explore the heritage and charisma of this beautiful city. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens and has spectacular views over the city and York Minster. Once a magnificent old Victorian building it has been totally restored and now radiates old-world glamour and luxury with modern facilities and comforts. It is an ideal base from which to visit the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales. All 167 of the hotel rooms are furnished to an upper four-star standard to ensure your comfort is guaranteed. The restaurant has become something of a landmark in the locality. The sumptuous menu prepared by the talented chef at the 'Tempus Restaurant has gastronomes from far and wide flocking to the hotel. The Tempus Bar is the ideal venue to meet friends or relax whilst having a pre-dinner drink. There is a fully equipped leisure centre with a state of the art health and fitness club. Guests will find a heated swimming pool, sauna, steam room, whirlpool spa and fully equipped gymnasium with cardio vascular and resistance equipment and a selection of free weights.

Ganton Golf Club is laid out on quiet undulating heathland with sandy subsoil; it puts a premium on accuracy rather than length. The fairways are predominantly bents and fescues, which provide a firm base for all well executed shots. Impenetrable gorse abounds within the open nature of the heathland. There are few trees other than those on the boundaries; with plenty of space the original open character of the terrain has been retained. As to the bunkers, Ganton has few peers; the player who is bunkered is punished for his error.

The course has been selected for many championships including the Ryder Cup and Walker Cup. Established in 1891 it was redesigned by Dr. Alistair Mackenzie and Harry Vardon. (6693 yards, par 73).

Fulford lies approximately 1 mile south of the historical city of York and is built predominantly on sandy heathland that sustains an ideal surface for golf. Major Charles McKenzie, the brother and partner of the now legendary Dr Alistair McKenzie who designed Augusta National & Cypress Point, constructed the course. Over the years Fulford has become associated with European and International professional tournaments. But it is surely the image of a flaxen-haired Bernard Langer clambering 20 feet up the magnificent ash tree by the 17th green to play his third shot in the 1981 Benson and Hedges International Open that sticks in the memory. (6680 yards, Par 72).

Alwoodley Golf Club The course is natural moorland in character. Springy fairways cut through a profusion of heather, gorse and shrubs, with the trees particularly striking in autumn. It was the first course designed by Dr Alistair Mackenzie whose famous designs include Augusta National and Cypress Point. In addition to its scenic beauty, the course is cunningly bunkered and has undulating and interesting greens. (6686 yards, par 72).

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Moortown is a fine championship course set in 125 acres of dramatically contrasting woodland and moorland. It was originally designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie of Augusta fame. From the opening par 5 there are many fine holes to enjoy including the new 6th, rated the most difficult, and the famous Gibraltar par 3 10th with its sloping plateau green, the Club's signature hole. It is a tactical test and the setting is extremely pretty, with mature trees and bunkers protecting the fairways and greens. (6709 yards, Par 71).

Pannal Golf Club lies to the south of Harrogate amidst glorious countryside and superb views enhance the course that is laid out on a stretch of gorse-covered, tree-lined land. It has hosted many tournaments including the PGA Seniors. (6614 yards, par 72).

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