Hillside Golf Club

Hillside Golf Course

The Clubhouse, Hastings Road, Hillside, Southport, PR8 2LU

Voted No. 39 - THE UK & IRELAND TOP 100 - Todays Golfers 2010

Hillside is an underrated gem, separated only by a footpath, but hiding in the shadow of its noble next-door neighbour, Royal Birkdale. The railway line separates Hillside from Southport and Ainsdale, another superb but relatively unknown links.

Today's layout is very different to the original Hillside that was founded in 1911. The club acquired some new land in the 1960s and Fred Hawtree extensively remodelled the course, making major changes to the back nine. The front nine has always been highly regarded and plays over relatively flat ground, but it's the homeward nine that is really special and is frequently bracketed alongside Ballybunion because the holes ripple and undulate through the giant dunes.

There are many strong and individual holes but it's the 11th hole that is featured in the book the 500 World's Greatest Golf Holes. It's a hole that has everything going for it, a reachable par five of just over 500 yards that doglegs left; the elevated tee provides a panoramic view of the hole in play and many other holes too, not only at Hillside but also at Royal Birkdale and Southport & Ainsdale. A well-struck drive to the dune-flanked fairway will tempt the big hitters to go for the raised green in two, but watch out for that cavernous bunker lurking on the right.

At 6,800 yards this links is commonly thought of as the best course in the UK never to have hosted an Open. Plaudits regularly fly in its direction; Jack Nicklaus referred to it as a "wild looking links"; Greg Norman said its back nine was "the best in Britain", while Mark Calcavecchia said its greens were among the best he'd ever set eyes on.

Course details

To take your golf break a stage further, please do not hesitate to contact us.