St Annes Old Links Golf Club Lancashire

Founded in 1901, St. Annes Old Links is another of the fine championship links of England ‘s north-western coast, which also includes the likes of Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Formby and Royal Birkdale. Having been forced to move from their original home due to encroaching building work, the club identified a barren, windswept stretch of Lancashire coast, comprising dunes, sand and wild grasses, which ultimately would provide a new and permanent home for St. Annes Old Links.

The club’s first professional, George Lowe, was charged with the responsibility of designing the initial nine holes and thus, the foundations of a great links were laid. Membership blossomed quickly and the links hosted its first major event in 1919, when the English Ladies Amateur Championship was played here, while from 1926, when the Open Championship has been held at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, the links has been an official qualifying venue for the Open. The pure links character of St. Annes has changed little over the years, although building development is now surrounding most of the perimeter.

Every hole has its own individual characteristics, with the 170-yard par three, 9th hole, which offers a narrow green, well guarded by bunkers, is probably best known. Bobby Jones, in fact, when playing here in 1926, was so impressed with this hole that he reportedly took detailed measurements so that he could reproduce a hole of similar character in the United States . But while the 9th is probably the most talked about hole, with its immense 56-yard long green, others certainly provide a stiffer challenge. While there are countless majestic holes at St. Annes Old Links, the purists often rate the 447-yard 7th hole as the most difficult on the course, particularly when played into the teeth of the prevailing westerly wind. Getting home in regulation is a struggle for even the longest hitters and for most players, the decision to lay up short of the ditch, which protects the green, is a decision very well made. Each hole on the homeward journey, beginning with the short but testing par four 10th hole presents varying challenges, while the long finish of two par fives, with the railway lurking as out-of-bounds for over one thousand yards on the right hand side, demands the utmost in concentration and tact.