No 82 - West Lancashire
Top 100 golf courses: West Lancashire
82 WEST LANCASHIRE
Architect: Cotton
2006 position: 82
Stats: 6,772 yds; par 72; SSS 73
GF: £40-£100
T: 0151 924 1076
W: westlancashiregolf.co.uk
As a Liverpool University student golfer I had the privilege of playing West Lancs for a tenner a time, and the many rounds played there during my three years helped teach me the intricacies of links golf.
But as a relative newcomer to the game, what I don’t think I appreciated was just how tough the course was.
A recent visit during Open week this year underlined the severity of the test and our fourball lost a combined total of 22 balls in the high winds and wild rough.
The clubhouse, which has hitherto been an eyesore, is currently being redeveloped, so surely can only improve. MH
+ A very searching test; very welcoming staff; good practice areas
- Bleak in poor weather; brutal for high handicappers; ugly clubhouse
Enter your review of West Lancashire below
Reader comments
Add your commentsNovember 20 17:18
Peter Jeremy Bown
As a member of West Lancashire i am disappointed at the comments of Michael Harris which i consider grossly unfair.Firstly he has failed to point out that the club provides three different levels of tees designed to accommodate the full range of Handicapper.Secondly this is a course that is continually evolving to take into account the changes in club design,the prevailing weather and the needs of the golfer irrespective of handicap.
It is a links still considered by the R and A as being worthy of hosting final Qualifying for The Open at both Royal Liverpool and Royal Birkdale and co-hosting the 2009 Amateur Championship as well as other high profile and prestigious Amateur events for both ladies and gentlemen.
The hallmark of a great course is that it should be fair but at the same time reward good golf whilst punishing poor golf.West Lancashire bears all those hallmarks and is a worthy place to visit and play for all golfers irrespective of their ability.
November 21 12:04
Michael Harris
With all due respect I think you have completely missed the point with your comments.
The fact that we list West Lancs in our Top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland is testament to how highly we rate the course. I'm not sure how my comments, which focus on why West Lancs is so good, can in any way be seen as unfair.
Almost all the courses listed in our Top 100 will have at least three sets of tees - indeed some have as many as five in order accommodate a wide variety of standards - so there would be no reason to highlight this.
The length of the hole is only one factor in assessing the difficulty and no matter which tees one plays from you will need to be on your game and control the golf ball to card a good score. I stand by my comments that this is not a course for the higher handicapper due to its difficulty
If you hit it off line you will find trouble be it rough or bunkers.
If you can't adapt your game to windy conditions you will struggle
If you can't shape the ball you will find it hard to find a number of the fairways and green
If you don't have a wide armoury of short game shots you will struggle to get it up and down
If you can't judge pace and break of putts the excellent greens will find you out.
In short a West Lancs is a very tough course and that's why it's in our list - because it's offers a great test of one's game.
For that very reason I look forward to returning to play this wonderful course at the next available opportunity and also seeing the new clubhouse.