North West England Golf Tour

If you are planning a North West golf break, this stretch of Lancashire coastline gives you three superb but very different tests. Earlier in the year our team played St Annes Old Links, Royal Lytham & St Annes and Formby Golf Club, stayed on site and checked the food and facilities, so we can tell you exactly which venue suits your group best.

We did the legwork, played the courses, stayed overnight and tried the food, so you get honest advice based on first-hand experience rather than brochure copy. The itinerary covers three courses united by the same stretch of duneland between Blackpool and Southport, each with its own character, its own challenges and its own ideal visitor. St Annes Old Links is the most welcoming starting point for mixed-ability groups. Royal Lytham is a genuine bucket-list experience with major-championship history running through every blade of grass. Formby is the toughest and most distinctive of the three, best suited to stronger golfers who want something they will still be talking about on the drive home.

What makes this corner of Lancashire so good for a golf tour is the variety. You can play a forgiving but beautifully bunkered links one morning, walk the fairways of an Open Championship venue the next and then take on a course that mixes dunes, heathland, trees and gorse in a way you will not find anywhere else in England. Add in solid dormy accommodation at Royal Lytham, a handful of excellent restaurants and a Southport hotel that works perfectly for groups who want a town-centre base and you have a trip that is genuinely easy to put together.

We handle all of that for you. Course selection, tee times, accommodation, dinner reservations and buggy requests all go through one conversation with our team, so whoever is organising the trip can stop chasing spreadsheets and start looking forward to the first tee.

Type: Links
Par / Length: 72 / 6,907 yards (back tees)
Best for: All abilities
Signature hole: 9th 173 yard par 3
Buggies: Limited, pre-book essential
Driving range: Off 5th tee (10 min walk)

First impressions & atmosphere
Pull into the visitors' car park and the view sets the tone immediately, the 18th hole framed against the Blackpool Tower skyline is a genuinely striking welcome. The pro shop staff were excellent from the off, pointing us towards lockers and providing access codes for the traditional clubhouse without any fuss. The vibe here is relaxed and inclusive, with a healthy mix of members and visiting groups of varying ages sharing the space comfortably. It feels like a club that genuinely enjoys having visitors, which makes a real difference when you're arriving as a group.

The course
St Annes Old Links is classic links golf, with tight fairways, clever bunkering and a routing that never really lets up. That is impressive given the compact piece of land it occupies. Playing to a par 72 at around 6,646 yards from the white tees, it is accessible enough for higher handicappers while still providing a genuine test for the more experienced player. It should suit older groups particularly well, especially those looking for a traditional links test without an overlong walk.

The Signature hole
The par 3 9th is the clear postcard moment. Playing around 170 yards into a bowl-shaped green ringed by pot bunkers, with the traditional clubhouse framing the backdrop, it is a hole that perfectly captures the character of the course. Several of us independently picked it out as the standout, which tells you something.

Worth knowing before you play
Back-to-back par 5s appear twice during the round, including at the 17th and 18th. The North Western Train Line also runs alongside the course and the tracks serve as out of bounds on the 17th. It is the sort of local knowledge that is worth passing on to your group before you tee off rather than discovering mid-round.

Practical note
The driving range sits a 10-minute walk from the clubhouse off the 5th tee. The practice nets, chipping greens and putting green near the clubhouse are the more practical warm-up option for most groups. The pro shop carries a good range of branded merchandise, including a discounted rail at around £35 for a polo shirt. Buggies, caddies and club hire are available in limited numbers, so always check with the pro shop.

Type: Links
Par / Length: 70 / 7,094 yards (back tees)
Best for: Mid to low handicap
Signature hole: 18th 410 yard par 4
Buggies: Limited, pre-book essential

First impressions & atmosphere
The clubhouse at Royal Lytham & St Annes is a genuine wow moment, instantly recognisable from Open Championship broadcasts and every bit as impressive in person. Build in at least 20 minutes before your round to take in the memorabilia, the portraits of past champions and the Walker Cup history that lines the walls. It sets the tone for the day in a way that very few venues can match. Staff were welcoming and the pro shop, located right next to the first tee, was well-stocked, though on the pricier side.

The course
With 174 bunkers and a par of 70, Royal Lytham is a genuine championship test. This is the one for stronger players, ideally 20 handicap and below, although sensible tee choices can make it manageable for others. The club professional was helpful in advising on appropriate tee selections, so it is worth a conversation with the pro shop before you head out if you have higher handicappers in your group.

Recent changes to the course, including an extended driving range and additional distance on some championship tee boxes, have been made with the aim of returning the Open Championship to the venue in 2028. That ambition is visible in how the course is presented and maintained. In general, no buggies are available here, so come prepared to walk. Trolley hire can be arranged through the pro shop. Caddies are available on request, with a single caddy priced at £80 plus gratuity and a forecaddie at £120 plus gratuity. If your group has never played with a caddy before, this is the venue to try it.

The Signature hole
The 18th is the iconic closer, a tight fairway lined with more than ten bunkers with the famous clubhouse providing a dramatic backdrop to the approach shot. The 9th also drew strong praise, rounding off an excellent front nine that builds real momentum through the round.

Facilities & the 19th hole
Off the course, Royal Lytham feels every bit the major venue. The clubhouse experience is part of the day, so build in time before or after the round to look around properly. For golfing groups, that matters, because this is as much about the occasion as the scorecard. The traditional setup means no buggies and a strong emphasis on walking the course as it was intended, which is the right way to experience it. Post-round, the clubhouse provides a fitting setting to reflect on the round over a drink and the atmosphere carries the weight of the history around you.

Practical note
Buggy access at Royal Lytham is restricted and should never be assumed. If any player in your group needs one, raise it at enquiry stage so we can check availability and eligibility with the club directly. The driving range, pitching area, putting green and warm-up nets are excellent, with complimentary range ball tokens available from the pro shop. The pro shop itself is exceptional in quality but notably expensive.

Type: Links / Heathland
Par / Length: 72 / 7,128 yards (back tees)
Best for: Lower handicappers
Signature hole: 9th 464 yard par 4
Buggies: Medical exemption only

First impressions & atmosphere
Sharing a car park with Formby Ladies Golf Club, Formby offers a different style of challenge but loses none of the area's golfing appeal. On arrival, the welcome in the pro shop was warm and efficient, with staff happy to talk through the course before you head out. The setting makes an immediate impression: pines, dunes and gorse frame the opening holes and give the course a distinct character that feels a long way from the links golf you will have played at St Annes or Royal Lytham.

The course
The heathland layout moves through pines, dunes and gorse to create a round that feels varied from the first tee onwards. The combination of wind, firm turf and well-placed hazards means you do need to think your way around it. For mixed-ability groups, this is the sort of course that stronger players can enjoy for its shot values while mid-handicappers still have room to score if conditions are kind.

High winds can make the experience feel particularly demanding for higher handicappers, so it is worth keeping an eye on the forecast and adjusting expectations accordingly. Buggies are available on medical exemption only, with electric trolleys the practical alternative. The course is walkable and the pace of play tends to be good, which makes it a comfortable third round if you are building a three-day itinerary.

The Signature hole
The 9th is the standout hole, playing as Stroke Index 1 at 464 yards from an elevated tee with exceptional views of the sea through the trees. It is one of those holes you will still be talking about over dinner. The combination of the view, the yardage and the pressure of the index makes it a genuine test and a genuine highlight.

Practical note
Buggies are available on medical exemption only, so electric trolleys should be the default recommendation for all clients at this venue. A halfway house and short game area are also available on site.

At Royal Lytham, the dormy rooms are modern and spacious with ample room for clubs and luggage. Twin rooms feature two single beds and work well for groups. Breakfast is included in the standard B&B package, pre-ordered at check-in and cooked fresh to order. A dinner upgrade is available, but the dining room is small relative to the number of rooms, so pre-booking dinner slots is strongly advised. Do not leave this to the morning of your round.

The dormy option is strictly a golfers' experience. It is not suited to non-golfing partners which is worth thinking about when deciding where to base your group.

For groups who want a more flexible town-centre base, there is a well-placed hotel in Southport, The Waterfront Hotel. A buffet breakfast is included in the room rate and the evening brasserie-style menu was noted by the team as excellent and competitively priced.

All three clubhouses operate under a traditional dress code. No jeans, hoodies or trainers, and no spikes in the main areas. The atmosphere across all three is formal without being stiff: no televisions, attentive service and a genuine sense of occasion that feels appropriate given the venues.

For evenings out, Lytham is the consensus recommendation from the team. A short taxi ride of around £6 by Uber from the courses, it has independent restaurants and traditional pubs that make for a relaxed night out. Bosco, an Italian restaurant in Lytham, was specifically highlighted as a local favourite.

Blackpool sits in the opposite direction, around 10 to 15 minutes by cab depending on traffic and offers a broader nightlife proposition that is particularly lively from Thursday to Saturday. For groups based in Southport, Lord Street is within walking distance and provides a solid evening option with plenty of choice.