Formby Golf Club

Formby Golf Club occupies a classic stretch of linksland on England's northwest coast, situated among the pine-fringed dunes between Liverpool and Southport. The course traces its origins to 1884, with significant design contributions from Willie Park and James Braid in its early development. More recent work by Donald Steel and Martin Hawtree has refined the layout while preserving its traditional links character. The club has long maintained a reputation as one of the finest members' clubs in the north of England. The routing moves through natural duneland corridors lined with Scots pine and punctuated by gorse, creating a distinctive blend of open links terrain and sheltered woodland passages. The sandy soil provides firm, fast-running conditions characteristic of authentic links golf, while the undulating fairways and elevated greens demand precise approach play. Several holes play along ridgelines with views across the Irish Sea, and the prevailing wind from the west adds strategic complexity to club selection and shot shaping. Formby has hosted numerous regional and national amateur championships, including multiple English Amateur Championships and British Ladies Amateur events. The club's competitive history reflects its standing as a rigorous test of links golf, particularly when coastal winds are up. Red squirrels, a protected species increasingly rare in England, inhabit the pine woods bordering the course, adding a notable ecological dimension to the property.