Hillside Golf Club
The links next door to Royal Birkdale, and on its day the equal of any of them. Hillside runs through some of the most magnificent dunes on England's Golf Coast, and its back nine, set loose in the high sandhills, is so good that Greg Norman called it the finest in Britain. Founded in 1911 and reshaped by Fred Hawtree, it is a championship test that the wider world is finally catching up to.
Photo: Chris Williams via Google.
The verdict
Hillside has spent a century as Royal Birkdale's quieter neighbour, sharing the same towering belt of Southport dunes and, on the evidence of the golf, much of the same quality. Founded in 1911 and given its modern championship form when Fred Hawtree reworked it in the 1960s, exchanging holes at the far end for a stretch of glorious duneland between the club and Birkdale, it plays to a par 72 of about 7,029 yards and has hosted the Amateur Championship, Open final qualifying and, in 2019, the British Masters.
The front nine is fine, classic links golf, but it is the back nine that has made Hillside's name, a run of holes that plunge through and over enormous sandhills with the kind of drama usually reserved for the most famous links in the world. Greg Norman, no flatterer, called it the finest back nine in Britain, and few who play it leave disagreeing. For the golfer touring England's Golf Coast around Birkdale and Lytham, Hillside is the round that surprises and, for many, steals the trip.
Hillside at a glance
- Founded
- 1911
- Designer
- Fred Hawtree, 1967
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,029 yds
- Green fee
- Around £230
Founding in 1911, the Fred Hawtree reworking of the 1960s, par 72 and a length of about 7,029 yards verified June 2026 from the club and course databases. Hillside hosted the Amateur Championship in 1979 and 2011 and the British Masters in 2019, and serves as an Open final qualifying venue. The green fee is indicative, around 220 pounds on weekdays and 250 pounds at weekends for eighteen holes in high season 2026. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Hillside is a course of two halves, and knowing that is the key to enjoying it. The outward nine is excellent, honest links golf laid across flatter ground near the clubhouse, a fair and increasingly demanding examination that quietly sets you up for what follows. Accurate driving is rewarded and the greens are firm and true, but the real test, and the real drama, waits at the turn.
The back nine is the reason golfers make the pilgrimage. From the moment the course climbs into the high dunes it becomes spectacular, fairways tumbling between towering sandhills, blind and semi blind shots over crests, and greens set into natural settings that feel carved by the wind rather than built. The long par 5s thread through the dunes superbly and the par 3s demand precise, committed iron play to exposed targets. It is this stretch that Greg Norman singled out as the finest in Britain, and on a firm, breezy day it is hard to argue.
What stays with you is the scale of the back nine and the realisation that Hillside, for all its years in Birkdale's shadow, is a genuine championship links in its own right. The dunes are as grand as any on the coast, the conditioning is immaculate, and the sense of discovery, of a great course only now getting its due, makes a round here especially satisfying.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A members club that welcomes visitors on weekdays and at limited weekend times; a championship venue, so booking ahead is essential |
| Green fee | Around 220 pounds on weekdays and 250 pounds at weekends for eighteen holes in high season, late April to late September 2026 (indicative), with off season rates lower |
| Booking | Book well ahead, particularly in summer and around Open qualifying dates; weekday mornings offer the most availability |
| On the day | Walking course through big dune terrain with caddies and trolleys available; a welcoming clubhouse and a dress code; a current handicap is expected |
| Getting there | At Southport on England's Golf Coast, immediately beside Royal Birkdale, about forty five minutes from Liverpool and an hour from Manchester |
| Best months | April to October for the firmest turf; the dunes are exposed, so wind is the constant defence in every season |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the club; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with Hillside Golf Club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base for England's Golf Coast is Southport, a handsome Victorian resort town within minutes of Hillside, Royal Birkdale and Southport and Ainsdale. From there the densest cluster of championship links in England sits within an easy drive, with Royal Lytham and St Annes a short hop down the coast.
Southport offers a good range of hotels along its famous Lord Street, while Liverpool, forty five minutes south, adds city luxury and the airport. Many golfers base in Southport and let the concierge sequence Hillside, Birkdale and Lytham across a few days of the finest links golf in the northwest of England.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts across Southport and England's Golf Coast.
Play Hillside and England's Golf Coast
We build England's Golf Coast trips around Royal Birkdale, Hillside and Royal Lytham, secure the tee times and sort a Southport base with the transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Hillside questions
Who designed Hillside Golf Club?
Hillside was founded in 1911 and played as a nine hole course into the early 1920s before expanding. Its modern championship form is the work of Fred Hawtree, who reworked the layout in the 1960s, exchanging holes at the far end for a stretch of magnificent duneland between the club and Royal Birkdale.
What is the par and length of Hillside?
Hillside is a par 72 of about 7,029 yards from the championship tees. The challenge comes from the towering dune terrain of the back nine, the firm links turf, the exposed wind and the well defended greens as much as from the length.
Why is Hillside's back nine so famous?
Hillside's back nine plunges through some of the largest dunes on England's Golf Coast and is widely regarded as one of the finest stretches of links golf in Britain. Greg Norman is among those who have called it the best back nine in the country, and it is the main reason touring golfers make the trip.
How much does it cost to play Hillside?
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees are around 220 pounds on weekdays and 250 pounds at weekends for eighteen holes in high season, with off season rates lower. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Where is Hillside and what is nearby?
Hillside sits at Southport on England's Golf Coast, immediately beside Royal Birkdale, about forty five minutes from Liverpool. It pairs naturally with Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham and St Annes on a northwest England links trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.