Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club

Anticipated Links Experience:
Surrounded by the town,  Royal Lytham is a picturesque links experience – perhaps one of the most difficult on the British Open circuit. This is a world-class links course, where every shot must be weighed up, or as Bernard Darwin said,” a beast, but a just beast.” As well as the 202 bunkers there are masses of historical reference points and both the clubhouse and dormy are of LINKS75-class. A diamond – but with a real edge.

Best hole:
par3: 9th hole
par4: 18th hole
par5: 7th hole

Worthy of note:
Bobby Jones’ plaque on the 17th and Ballesteros’ car park spot on the 16th.

History:
The club was opened on 27 Febraury, 1886. Originally at putting distance from St Anne’s Station the course was thereafter moved to today’s location. In 1911, Harry S Colt received the commission as architect and over four years he worked to improve and modify parts of the course. In 1926 the club received its royal status. Lytham is the only Open Championship course that begins with a par 3 and has three of them in the first nine holes. The finishing hole – with 17 bunkers – has decided many important championships. In one club tournament a member succeeded in skying a ball from a greenside bunker and landing it on the window ledge in the clubroom. He then took off his spikes and went into the clubhouse, opened the window and hit the ball back on to the green! This was not seen with approving eyes by the club secretary who disqualified him for 40 years.
The club has been host to the Open 10 times, with winners such as Bobby Jones, Ballsteros, Jacklin and Els. On two other occasions the Ryder Cup has been played here, in 1961 and 1977. In addition a large number of important championships have been held here.
In 2015 it will play host to the Walker Cup.

Review

Turf	High	Tweed	LINKS75class
Marker Posts	Low	Gorse	Medium
Saltinity	Low	Bunkers	LINKS75class

Blogspots:
Following the Footsteps of Heroes at Royal Lytham

Photos:

Website: www.royallytham.org