Hastings Rd, Hillside,
nr Southport, Lancashire PR8 2LU
Office
+44 (0)1704 567 169Pro shop
+44 (0)1704 568 360Fax
+44 (0)1704 563 192Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Brian SeddonThe Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Rural countryside.
Designer:
Fred Hawtree designed the current layout which dates from the 1960's.
53.620367
-3.027747
17 miles N of Liverpool
From the centre of Southport, head south on the A565 direction Liverpool. After 1.9 mi (100 yds after Royal Birkdale entrance) turn right into Hastings Rd at Hillside GC sign. After 400 yds golf is on your left.
Hillside
Hillside Golf Club: There is no doubting the pedigree and popularity of Hillside, nor the calibre of the company it keeps. It is bounded by Royal Birkdale to the north, and Southport & Ainsdale to the east (across a small railway line). Amongst this wonderful triumvirate of seaside links courses, Hillside can boast the tallest and most impressive sand dunes, especially on its fabulous back-nine.
Laid out in two out-and-back loops, the front-nine occupies flatter terrain, and is located further inland than the more memorable second-nine. It's on Hillside's back-nine that you'll encounter a wonderfully dramatic stretch of holes that weave their way through towering sand dunes. Most celebrated of all are the par-5 11th and 17th holes, which run side-by-side (in opposite directions) through a valley bounded by large sandhills.
Hillside is characterised by rugged links golf at its best. In the middle section of the back-nine you come closest to the sea, with the higher elevations offering occasional glimpses of the Irish Sea. You may be disappointed that the layout stays several hundred yards back from the shoreline, but such is the case with all the top links layouts on the Lancashire coast. When the courses were originally created, some degree of protection from the wind was considered a higher golfing priority than spending time admiring sea views.
Always maintained in top condition, Hillside provides an excellent golfing challenge in a wonderfully dramatic duneland setting, most especially on the layout's much acclaimed back-nine loop.
Visitors welcome on weekdays, and after noon on weekends. No visitors on Bank Holidays.
Must book in advance. Handicap required
Credit cards accepted. [Last updated: 2019].
Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire (if pre-booked).
Limited
A stunning five-mile stretch of duneland on the Lancashire coast is book-ended by the seaside towns of Southport and Formby. At the northern end of this stretch of sand hills, and closest to Southport, you'll find three of England's top-rated links courses sitting cheek-by-jowl. The proximity of this formidable triumvirate, comprising Royal Birkdale, Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale, can be clearly seen on a satellite view map.
Royal Birkdale lies closest to Southport. A small pathway separates this revered Open Championship venue from Hillside, which adjoins it to the south. Across the railway track to the south and east of Hillside, lies Southport & Ainsdale. If this trio doesn't satisfy your links golf appetite, the also excellent courses of Formby and West Lancs lie just a few miles further south.
Hillside, like its revered neighbours, has hosted many top level tournaments. In 1982 Tony Jacklin won the Sun Alliance (now BMW) PGA Championship here, beating Bernhard Langer in a playoff to claim his last European Tour title. For more details see Top Golf Tournaments at Hillside Golf Club.
GB&I: 70th best course in Britain & Ireland (Golf World, 2020/21).
England: 27th best course in England (Golf World, 2021).
98 Lord Street, Southport PR8 1JR
+44 (0)1704 883 800
Visit websiteLocated on Lord Street, Southport’s main boulevard and opening in 2008, The Vincent Hotel is a contemporary boutique hotel. 60 guest rooms, suites and a penthouse occupy the six floors in this award winning design. The hotel's facilities include a Cafe & Sushi Bar, Spa, gym and Galleria Suites for weddings & corporate events.
No
Hesketh; Royal Birkdale; Hillside
Southport & Ainsdale; Formby; Formby Hall; West Lancashire
The Promenade, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1RB
+44 (0)1704 533 771
Visit websiteThe Best Western Royal Clifton Hotel & Spa is noted for its excellent range of facilities and standards of service. Over recent years the hotel has been refurbished to offer guests the comfort expected from one of the best located hotels in Southport.
No
Hesketh; Royal Birkdale; Hillside
Southport & Ainsdale; Formby; Formby Hall; West Lancashire
Tournaments:
European Tour: 2021 marks the 50th and last season of the world renowned European Tour, launched in April 1972 at the Spanish Open. From 2022 the Tour will be sponsored by Dubai-based global supply chain and ports operator DP World, and will be known as the DP World Tour.
South African Open: December 2021 events in South Africa have again been impacted by the Covid pandemic. The South African Open (Dec 2-5) will no longer be played as a DP World Tour event, and the Alfred Dunhill Championship (Dec 9-12) has been cancelled.
Who's Who:
Bernhard Langer: at age 64, Langer collected a record sixth Charles Schwab Cup, the only player to have won the season-long points chase more than twice. He also topped the PGA Tour Champions money-list for the 11th time out of a possible 13 since 2008.
Carlota Ciganda: the five-time Solheim Cup star was delighted to record a fourth Ladies European Tour win in her home national championship, the Ladies Spanish Open.
Lee Elder: Trailblazer, Ryder Cup player, four-time PGA Tour winner and eight-time Senior PGA Tour winner, Lee Elder died on November 28, aged 87. In 1975 he became the first African American golfer to play in the Masters tournament, and in so doing provided one of the pivotal moments in the history of professional golf.
Golf World Top 100: Best Golf Courses in Europe. From France to Spain to the Netherlands and Norway, the Golf World Top 100 panel reveals the places you have to play (published 20 October 2021).
New 27-hole golf complex to be built in southern Belgium
A new golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the border with Luxembourg, will start construction in June 2021.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club "makes its tournament debut with the hosting of the Italian Open on the European Tour" by Richard Humphreys
Gamble Sands opens short course:
David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
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