Wallasey Golf Club
An 1891 Old Tom Morris links in the big dunes of the Wirral, ten minutes from Royal Liverpool and every bit a championship test in its own right. This is also the course that gave golf the Stableford: Dr Frank Stableford was a member here, and the first competition under his points system was played at Wallasey on 16 May 1932.
Photograph: Wallasey Golf Club, via Google.
The verdict
Wallasey is the great supporting act of England's Golf Coast that deserves top billing of its own. Founded in 1891 by golfers from neighboring Hoylake, with Old Tom Morris called in to lay out the original links, it occupies the wildest stretch of duneland on the Wirral, where the Irish Sea meets the mouth of the Mersey. Alex Herd improved the course in 1901 and Harold Hilton again in 1913, and four of Old Tom's original greens, the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 12th, survive to this day.
The golf is proper links: a par 72 of about 6,600 yards through dunes that dwarf anything at Royal Liverpool down the road, with elevated tees, heaving fairways and greens set in natural amphitheaters of marram. When the wind blows, and it usually does, the course shows exactly why a frustrated member named Frank Stableford decided golf needed a kinder way to keep score. Play it as the second round of a Hoylake day or the sleeper pick of a Golf Coast week; either way it will be the round you talk about.
Wallasey at a glance
- Founded
- 1891
- Designer
- Old Tom Morris
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- ~6,600 yds
- Green fee
- £120 to £255
Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the club and course databases; published back tee measurements vary slightly between about 6,560 and 6,650 yards. Green fees are indicative from the club's published 2026 rates: 120 to 130 pounds in winter, 140 to 160 pounds in March, 235 to 255 pounds in high summer and 180 to 210 pounds in October. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The golf worth the trip
Wallasey's opening run tells you immediately what kind of links this is. The course climbs into the dunes early and keeps returning to them, alternating between holes that ride the ridgelines, with views across Liverpool Bay to the Welsh hills, and holes that drop into sheltered valleys where the wind disappears and club selection becomes guesswork. The surviving Old Tom greens at the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 12th sit as naturally in the land as any putting surfaces in England.
The par 4s are the heart of the examination, many of them playing from elevated tees to fairways that pitch and tumble, then up to greens perched on plateaus or tucked behind sandhills. Into the prevailing wind several become genuine three shot holes for the handicap golfer, which is precisely the experience that drove Dr Stableford, a plus one handicapper himself, to devise a scoring system where one ruined hole no longer ruined the card. Golf has thanked Wallasey for it ever since.
The closing stretch brings the clubhouse and the Mersey estuary back into view and asks for two of the better swings of the day. Pair the round with Hoylake across the peninsula, then carry on through the Mersey tunnel to Formby and Hillside on the Southport shore for the full Golf Coast itinerary.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A members' club that welcomes visitors through the week and at weekends, booked in advance through the club office or online visitor booking |
| Green fee | Published 2026 rates: 120 to 130 pounds in winter, 140 to 160 pounds in March, 235 to 255 pounds midweek to weekend in high summer, 180 to 210 pounds in October (indicative) |
| Booking | Summer weekends and Open qualifying weeks fill early; book months ahead if you are pairing Wallasey with Royal Liverpool in the same trip |
| On the day | A walking links with trolleys available; standard links dress code, and handicap certificates may be requested for visiting golfers |
| Getting there | On the north corner of the Wirral peninsula in Merseyside, 20 minutes from Liverpool through the Kingsway tunnel and 10 minutes from Hoylake |
| Best months | April to October for full summer greens and longer evenings; winter golf is real links golf at half the price |
Access and green fees verified June 2026 from the club's published visitor information; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Most traveling golfers base in Liverpool, 20 minutes away, where the waterfront hotels around the Albert Dock put world class dining and nightlife alongside easy tunnel access to the Wirral. Hoylake and West Kirby, ten minutes from the club, are the quieter golf first options, with small hotels and guest houses that have looked after Royal Liverpool visitors for a century.
Groups building a full week on England's Golf Coast often split the stay: two nights on the Wirral for Wallasey and Hoylake, then north to Southport for Hillside, Formby and the Birkdale stretch. The drive between the two halves is under an hour.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near the Wirral and Liverpool.
Build an England's Golf Coast trip
We pair Wallasey with Royal Liverpool, Formby and the Southport links, book the tee times in the right order and handle the hotels and the transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Wallasey questions
What is the par and length of Wallasey Golf Club?
Wallasey is a par 72 links of about 6,600 yards from the back tees, routed through serious dunes on the northern corner of the Wirral peninsula between the Irish Sea and the mouth of the Mersey.
Why is Wallasey famous for Stableford scoring?
Dr Frank Stableford, the Wallasey member who devised the points scoring system that carries his name, saw the first Stableford competition played at the club on 16 May 1932. The format he invented to keep windblown rounds alive is now played all over the world.
How much does it cost to play Wallasey?
Published 2026 visitor green fees run from 120 pounds midweek in winter to 235 pounds midweek and 255 pounds at weekends in high summer, with spring and autumn rates in between. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Can visitors play Wallasey Golf Club?
Yes. Wallasey is a members' club that welcomes visiting golfers through the week and at weekends, booked ahead through the club office or its online visitor booking. Summer tee sheets fill early, especially when groups pair it with Royal Liverpool ten minutes away. Always confirm availability directly before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par, yardage and the Stableford history verified June 2026; published 2026 green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.