Highbury Rd East,
St Annes on Sea, Lancashire FY8 2LD
Office
+44 (0)1253 723 597Pro shop
+44 (0)1253 722 432Fax
+44 (0)1253 781 506Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
James Robinson (Head PGA Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Gently undulating terrain - easy to walk.
Surroundings:
Coastal duneland and residential
Designer:
George Lowe designed the front-nine; course was completed by Sandy Herd.
53.762833
-3.038175
3 miles S of Blackpool
From exit 4 on the M55, follow A5230 direction Blackpool South Shore and Airport. Pass airport on your left and then turn left onto the coast road. After approx 1.2 miles turn left at traffic lights into Highbury Road West. Golf is on your left just after railway bridge.
St Annes Old Links
St Annes Old Links Golf Club is home to another of the fine championship layouts to be found along the Lancashire coast, where you'll find the biggest concentration of classic duneland courses in England. Although the likes of Royal Lytham & St Annes, Formby and Royal Birkdale may get the top accolades, St Annes Old Links provides an enjoyable and challenging outing, with many fine holes in the mix.
A busy visual scene awaits on the first tee. In the distance the Tower and pleasure rides of the seaside town of Blackpool provide the backdrop. A small regional airport also gets into the picture, while large dunes on your left effectively keep the sea hidden from view. A row of small houses flank one or two of the early holes, and the Preston-Blackpool single-track railway provides an unnerving out-of-bounds on the closing stretch.
With this busy scene beyond the course, the layout itself exudes the kind of timeless dependability that makes playing links golf such fun. Spread out before you are the grassy bumps and hollows that provide good definition to firm, rolling fairways. Excellent pot bunkering and superb greens are also hallmarks of the course.
Pick of the holes: among many excellent holes, the 171-yard par-3 9th, with its narrow 49-yard green, is probably the most memorable. When the great Bobby Jones played here in 1926, he was so impressed with this hole that he took detailed notes, later to recreate a hole of similar character back in the United States. No doubt the wonderfully bunkered par-4 14th and 15th also pleased his eye.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and Sunday afternoons.
Must book in advance. Handicap required.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Players generally walk this course. Golf carts (buggies) and caddies available if pre-booked.
Limited
St Annes Old Links has been used as a final qualifying course for Open Championships held at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, and also for a variety of top quality national and regional amateur golf events.
An excellent brief history of the club and course is provided in the Strokesaver yardage book - worth getting a copy to support your course management, not least as you try to avoid those fiendish pot bunkers.
England's 93rd best course (Golf World, 2023).
East Park Drive, Blackpool, Lancs FY3 8LL
+44 (0)1253 838 866
Visit websiteThe Herons' Reach hotel (aka Village Urban) has recently undergone a major refurbishment, and now includes an outdoor heated swimming pool. In addition to the 174 stylish guest rooms, the hotel facilities also include: indoor pool, health & fitness club, Starbucks Coffee house; free wi-fi internet, Healthworks spa, tennis courts, extensive parking and the Herons' Reach championship golf course and driving range.
Herons' Reach
St Annes Old Links
Royal Lytham & St Annes; Fairhaven; Lytham Green Drive.
West Beach, Lytham, Lancashire FY8 5QJ
+44 (0)1253 739 898
Visit websiteThe Clifton Arms Hotel (a Grade II listed property) has been privately owned by the Webb family since 1993. The 4-star luxury hotel has an enviable location in the heart of Lytham, whilst enjoying spectacular views of the sea front.
No
Royal Lytham & St Annes; Fairhaven; Lytham Green Drive; St Annes Old Links.
Heron's Reach
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