Public

Royal Liverpool Course

Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Wirral, Merseyside, England
michaelreilly77
EllWilko157
lm236
Michael Nowacki
Alex
+33
18 holesPar 727,341 yds77.1/152

About this course

Royal Liverpool Golf Club, known universally as Hoylake, occupies a flat stretch of linksland on the Wirral Peninsula where the Dee Estuary meets Liverpool Bay. The club was founded in 1869, making it one of England's oldest seaside courses, though the present layout largely reflects modifications by Harry S. Colt in the early twentieth century. The course sits on former racecourse grounds, and remnants of that history remain visible in the internal out-of-bounds areas that define several holes—a quirk nearly unique among championship links. The routing runs out and back in traditional links fashion across relatively level terrain, with the wind and the firm, fast-running turf providing the primary defenses. The opening stretch moves away from the clubhouse along the practice ground, while the inward nine returns alongside the estuary, where tidal marshes and distant Welsh hills form the backdrop. The bunkering is deep and strategic, and the greens are subtly contoured, rewarding precise approach play. Several holes play along or across the internal boundaries, demanding both accuracy and local knowledge. Hoylake has hosted The Open Championship numerous times since 1897, with winners including Bobby Jones in 1930 during his Grand Slam year, Peter Thomson, Roberto De Vicenzo, and more recently Tiger Woods in 2006 and Rory McIlroy in 2014. The course also stages the Amateur Championship regularly and remains a fixture in British championship golf. The club maintains a traditional members' culture, and the modest Victorian clubhouse reflects the understated character of one of the game's historic venues.

Rankings

Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.

166

Best in World

19

Best in UK

6

Best in England

Quick facts

Location
Wirral, Merseyside, England
Access
Public
Year built
1869
Holes
18
Par
72
Length
7,341 yards
Difficulty
77.1/152
Course Vaults score
8.9

Getting there

Liverpool John Lennon Airport lies just across the Mersey, a quick twenty-minute drive northwest to the storied links of Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake. Manchester Airport, larger and better connected internationally, sits roughly an hour to the east for those arriving from farther afield. The final approach traces the Wirral Peninsula's quiet coastal edge, where suburban streets give way to open marshland and glimpses of the Irish Sea, before delivering you to the understated clubhouse gates on Meols Drive - a portal to one of championship golf's most revered and wind-tested stages.

FAQ

Common questions about Royal Liverpool

Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.

Royal Liverpool has a Course Vaults score of 8.9 out of 10 based on 38 logged golfers.

Royal Liverpool was designed by Harry S. Colt.

Yes. Royal Liverpool is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.

Par at Royal Liverpool is 72.

Royal Liverpool plays 7,341 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.

The slope rating at Royal Liverpool is 152.

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Course Reviews
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