Royal Lytham and St Annes

1st Green with Club House and Dormie House

Last Friday evening work required that I be in Manchester so I took advantage of the playing a nearby Open Championship course. I figured if I could survive driving on the wrong side of the road, a championship golf course would be a great way to start my golf season off. Royal Lytham & St. Annes, one of the 66 clubs in the world that holds the “Royal” title won out over two over “Royal” courses in the area, Birkdale and Liverpool. I’m guessing primarily because it was open to guests on Monday. I paid £125 for the round, which was a little steep for the season in my opinion. It was a chilly and windy day, 42F to start, getting up to 47F with 30-50 mph winds. Nothing that this Idaho boy can’t handle!  It had just been a while since I swung a golf club with that many clothes on.

The course starts with a shorter par-3, one of the only opening par-3 holes I think I have ever played. A clunky seven iron got me on the front of the green where I was able to two-putt for par. I was playing with the wind on the first three holes but I only made it to the second before losing my first ball. On the third hole is where I noticed the first of the dramatic bunkering. The count that I’ve read is 206 bunkers in total. Some are hardly big enough to take swing, others look and act like snakes in the sense you don’t know they are there until it’s too late.

6th green in foreground, 7th fairway going away

My favorite stretch of the course were holes six through ten. Six is par 5 (plays as 4 in the Opens) that is a dog leg left, it’s under 500 yards and the wind is usually helping. Yet, here is where the course showed it’s teeth, I found a bunker just short just short of the green and I liked it so much, I stayed there for the next three strokes. Seven is a long sucker, playing close to 600 yards, with danger on both sides and a fairway tighter than that her work wife’s pencil skirt. There is rough, bunkers, and trees to the left and rough, bunkers, grouse, and trees to the right. I lost my driver here and then slapped it down the fairway for a score of 9, I remind you the wind was helping here. Eight is shorter, visually pleasing par 4 with an elevated tee and a green that elevates quickly. Even the longest hitters lay-up here as there are three bunkers that guard the green, a la the holes in a pinball machine where you ball goes in and you lose a turn. The ninth hole offers some relief but is still a tough par three and in my opinion is the most visually pleasing hole on the golf course. Found another bunker here… The tee shot on ten is blind, one the few blind shots on the whole course. There is room to miss, just miss big. 

Par 3 9th

The last six holes are all par fours, two you can make birdie on (13, 16), two that you will be happy with bogey on (15, 17) and then two that will make or break your round (14, 18). You can ask Adam Scott for the fact check here. Overall, this course is fun and was in good condition, especially for the time of the year. The staff and the few members I met while playing are really friendly. I’d include it on a list of must plays if you are golf fan! But there were a few things missing. The main one, the water views! There were none. The course is almost blocked in by houses. This caused the course to lose out on “mystique” and holiday feel. It is not a resort, there is only course at the club and it’s very tough. This is a home club where a golfer will be continually challenged.

Posting Score: 89

Actual Score: Somewhere between 90-100 (when it went bad, it went really bad)

Cost: £125

Golf Balls Lost/Found: -3 Net

PS- I have a new friend that will be traveling with me across the golf courses of Europe. Everyone welcome Spuddy Buddy!