Royal Lytham and St Annes
Tucked behind the houses and the railway of the Lancashire coast, with not a glimpse of the sea, Royal Lytham and St Annes is the most unlikely looking of the great Open links, and one of the very best. Founded in 1886, it has crowned eleven Open champions from Bobby Jones to Seve Ballesteros to Ernie Els across a fierce, bunker strewn test that opens with a par 3 and never relents. Here is the verdict, the facts, the holes and how to get on.
Photograph: Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club, via Google.
The verdict
Royal Lytham is proof that a links does not need ocean views or towering dunes to be one of the world's finest. Hemmed in by suburban Lytham and the railway line, it relies instead on its routing, its lightning fast greens and a staggering field of around 200 bunkers to defend par, and it does so brilliantly. It is a championship test of the highest order, where accuracy and bunker avoidance matter more than length, and the list of champions, Jones, Locke, Thomson, Charles, Jacklin, Player, Ballesteros twice, Lehman, Duval and Els, tells you everything about its pedigree.
For the travelling golfer it is a must on any English links tour and a fascinating contrast to the dune giants of the coast. It opens with a par 3, one of only a handful of great courses to do so, and finishes with a brutal closing stretch beneath the red brick clubhouse that has decided major championships. Pair it with Royal Birkdale, Hillside and Formby to the north for one of the strongest links clusters anywhere in the game.
Royal Lytham and St Annes at a glance
- Founded
- 1886
- Opens hosted
- Eleven
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- 7,100 yds
- Green fee
- Around £410
Founding, par, yardage and championship history verified June 2026. The club was founded in 1886 and moved to its present links in 1897. It plays par 70 at around 7,100 yards and is defended by roughly 200 bunkers. It has hosted eleven Open Championships and two Ryder Cups, with Open champions including Bobby Jones (1926), Bobby Locke (1952), Peter Thomson (1958), Bob Charles (1963), Tony Jacklin (1969), Gary Player (1974), Seve Ballesteros (1979 and 1988), Tom Lehman (1996), David Duval (2001) and Ernie Els (2012). The indicative peak visitor green fee for 2025 is around 410 pounds; fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Royal Lytham is an examination in driving and bunker avoidance from the very first swing. It is one of the few championship courses to begin with a par 3, an arresting opener that sets the tone, and from there the round demands precise placement off the tee into fairways pinched by clusters of deep, revetted bunkers. There are no weak holes and no easy pars; the lightning fast greens and clever contouring keep the pressure on even when the wind is kind.
The closing stretch is the stuff of Open legend. The long, bunker lined finishing holes beneath the red brick clubhouse have made and broken champions, and it was from a fairway bunker on the 16th that Seve Ballesteros and others wrote their names into the history of the game. The famous plaque marking Bobby Jones's heroic recovery in 1926 still sits beside the 17th, a reminder that this unassuming inland links has hosted some of golf's greatest moments.
Played in any breeze off the Irish Sea, Lytham is a stern, strategic test that rewards thinking golfers and punishes the wayward without mercy. Look past the lack of sea views and you find one of the truest and most historic championship links in the world.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club that welcomes visitors on limited days, with tee times tightly managed; on site dormy house accommodation available |
| Green fee | An indicative 410 pounds peak visitor round for 2025, with weekday and shoulder season rates and stay and play packages |
| Booking | Book well in advance through the club; visitor access is restricted and summer times are limited, so plan early |
| On the day | A walking links with caddies available; a historic clubhouse and the dormy house for golfers staying over |
| Getting there | At Lytham St Annes on the Lancashire coast, around 20 minutes from Blackpool and well placed for the north west links |
| Best months | May to September for firm turf and the best weather, with quieter, better value rounds in spring and autumn |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the club; they change without notice and visitor days are limited, so always confirm directly before booking with Royal Lytham and St Annes or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Royal Lytham offers its own dormy house, a comfortable on site option for golfers who want to stay and play at the heart of the experience. Beyond the gates, Lytham St Annes and nearby Blackpool provide a full range of hotels and restaurants within easy reach of the links.
For a north west links tour, base yourself on the coast and play north to Royal Birkdale, Hillside, Formby and the Southport courses, one of the densest concentrations of championship links anywhere, all within a short drive of one another.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts on the Lancashire and Southport coast.
Stay and play on the England golf coast
We secure scarce Royal Lytham visitor times, pair it with Royal Birkdale, Hillside and Formby up the coast, and sort a base from the dormy house to Southport. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Royal Lytham and St Annes questions
When was Royal Lytham and St Annes founded and who designed it?
The club was founded in 1886 and moved to its present links in 1897, with the course evolving over the years through the work of designers including George Lowe, Herbert Fowler, Harry Colt and others. It is one of the most historic links in England and a regular Open Championship venue.
What is the par and yardage of Royal Lytham?
Royal Lytham plays as a par 70 of around 7,100 yards and is defended by roughly 200 bunkers, an unusually high number. It relies on precise driving, bunker avoidance and fast, cleverly contoured greens rather than sheer length, which is why it has remained a championship test for over a century.
How many Open Championships has Royal Lytham hosted?
Royal Lytham has hosted eleven Open Championships, with champions including Bobby Jones in 1926, Bob Charles in 1963, Tony Jacklin in 1969, Gary Player in 1974, Seve Ballesteros in 1979 and 1988, Tom Lehman in 1996, David Duval in 2001 and Ernie Els in 2012. It has also staged two Ryder Cups.
How much does it cost to play Royal Lytham?
The indicative peak visitor green fee for 2025 is around 410 pounds, with weekday and shoulder season rates and stay and play packages through the dormy house. Visitor access is limited and fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates and available days directly before booking.
Does Royal Lytham have sea views?
No, and that is part of its charm. Royal Lytham sits inland behind houses and the railway line with no view of the sea, yet it is among the finest links in the world, defended by its routing, its bunkering and its greens rather than its scenery. It famously opens with a par 3, a rarity among great courses.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding date, par, yardage and championship history verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.