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Royal Liverpool, England |
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Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Meols Drive
Hoylake
Wirral
Merseyside
CH47 4AL
England |  | George Morris, Harry Colt, Donald Steel |  | John Heggarty |
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 | +44 (0) 151 632 3101 |  | 10 miles SW of Liverpool on Wirral Peninsula |
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Golf Club Website
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 | Not Thu am or weekends - contact in advance |  | David Cromie |
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 Royal Liverpool was the second English course to host the Open Championship and is the fifth most used Open venue after St Andrews, Prestwick, Muirfield and Royal St George’s.
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Date
1897
1902
1907
1913
1924
1930
1936
1947
1956
1967
2006 |
Winner
Harold Hilton
Sandy Herd
Arnaud Massy
John H.Taylor
Walter Hagen
Bobby Jones
Alf Padgham
Fred Daly
Peter Thomson
R. De Vicenzo
Tiger Woods |
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Country
England
Scotland
France
England
USA
USA
England
N Ireland
Australia
Argentina
USA |
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| | The Open Championship finally returned to Royal Liverpool in 2006 after a 39-year gap. Hoylake, as it is called by those in the know, has a long and illustrious history of playing host to the Open, and has now hosted eleven, its first in 1897. Founded in 1869, Hoylake is the second oldest seaside links course in England – only Royal North Devon is the more senior.
George Morris, the brother of Old Tom, originally laid out a 9-hole course on the site of a racecourse and for the first seven years, golfers shared the land with members of the Liverpool Hunt Club. Three extra holes were soon added and in 1871, the course was extended to 18 holes. In 1872, the club received royal patronage from Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.
Bernard Darwin reported on the coming of the Haskell, which burst onto the scene at the Amateur Championship at Hoylake in 1902. The winner Charles Hutchings and the runner-up, Sidney Fry, used the rubber-core ball. Later that same year, Sandy Herd used a Haskell and won the Open at Royal Liverpool, sounding the death knell for the “gutty” ball.
Harry Colt made alterations to the 11th and 17th holes, named Alps and Royal. He also created a new 13th hole and changed the greens at the 8th and 12th holes. In his book, Golf Between Two Wars, Bernard Darwin describes Colt’s changes and the alteration to the 16th, called the Dun: “I do not criticise the disappearance of the old cross-bunker at the Dun because that had been made inevitable by the modern ball and modern driving. It was sad to see it go if only because the soberest might fall into it after dinner – I have seen them do it – in finding their way home across the darkling links; but it had to go and the present Dun is a fine long hole. Trying not to be Blimpish and die-hard and to look at the course with eyes unblurred by sentiment, I solemnly and sincerely declare that Mr Colt made a great job of it”.
Donald Steel was commissioned to make alterations to the course; these changes included a number of new greens, tees and bunkers. The work was completed in 2001 and the course now stretches out in excess of 7,000 yards. We wonder what Darwin would make of Steel’s alterations.
The land is unusually flat, offering little in the way of definition – three sides of the course are bordered by houses and the Dee Estuary lies on the western side. When you get out onto the course, the undulations become more pronounced and, as you move away from the houses, the overall experience improves. The holes alongside the shore (9th, 10th, 11th and 12th) are the most visually appealing and very challenging.
Without doubt, Royal Liverpool is a tough links. Only a couple of holes are in the dunes – otherwise there is little protection from the ever-changing wind. There is nothing artificial about the course. It represents a traditional, genuine test of golf and it was heart-warming to see that Hoylake examined the very best players in 2006. They came, they saw and Tiger conquered!
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If the above course review article is not accurate, let us know by clicking here |
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In the section below, headed “Your Reviews”, are golf course reviews posted by visitors to the Top 100 website. There are no specific rules for reviewing a golf course except you MUST have played the golf course first. Merits of each course are left entirely to your discretion. Important factors, such as course location, condition (or presentation), course difficulty and historical importance are all left for you to judge and we have developed a simple rating system where you can allocate one score to each course. | |
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 |  | | Average Reviewers Score: |  | | With a history to match any club and a fantastic set up Royal Liverpool is a must play if you visit the North West. New improvements have been made to the course this winter and these will make this already tough and enjoyable layout even more challenging and fun. There are many good courses in the area but you will not find a more challenging yet enjoyable layout than at Hoylake.
The par 3's are stunning, the opening hole one of the finest and most demanding in the world and the views from the 9th to the 13th beautiful and eclipsing any course in the area. The course has a mix of everything with gorse/long rough/deep and cleverly positioned bunkers and mounding protecting the tough to hit but pure and flatish greens. This is a real thinkers course and a true fair test.
The condition of the course is always to a very high standard and this is set to improve further with a new irrigation system installed.
The fantastic practice facilites/clubhouse and pro shop help complete a great setup and despite being a 'Royal' club the friendly and un stuffy atmosphere is a real welcome to this truly great club.
 | | Friday, April 16, 2010
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| | | I had the opportunity to play Royal Liverpool GC the other week and it turned out to be a fabulous experience! The greens were fast and firm to my surprise as the season is only just kicking off. Both the fairway and green bunkers are challenging as they should be. I tried avoiding the bunkers, but got penalized a few times (!) and even this added to the experience. In my home country, deep bunkers are rare. So I got a few pictures snapped when I was in the green side bunker of the 8th hole. The comradeship and friendly atmosphere among the members is unmistakable and something I will bring back and share at my own golf club. A lady member kindly showed me to the ladies room to take my golf shoes off and then as a real bonus, she guided me through the pictures and boards in the hallway. With a memorable history, the members should be very proud of the heritage and it was breathtaking to take part of the history. During my visit I akso played Royal Birkdale and Formby GC. If you are planning a trip to some great links courses in England, make sure to include Royal Liverpool GC in your plans. It will be an unforgettable experience! | | Thursday, April 08, 2010
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| | On a pleasant March Spring day I went to play at Hoylake yesterday on a society trip. And the experience of the entire day was just like the weather! By this I mean that although it was a lovely day, in the summer the day would have been hard to beat… with the sun is out, the rough up, and the G.U.R is nonexistent. However as one would expect we were off a reduced length, and plenty of the bountiful array of bunkers were out of action, so although the course was a treat we were probably playing it at its most benign.
However despite not experiencing the full test of the course, it was plain to see why it is one of the more popular Open Venues for both players and patrons! For a start, there is what first greats you as you arrive at the club, the great and illustrious clubhouse. Then inside the helpful starter greats you with the upmost hospitality showing you to the locker room and the extremely well stocked Pro Shop silently urges you to buy some of the great items for sale. As you go further into the clubhouse the sense of history and the ghost of golfing greats only go further to arouse the anxious feelings of the impending round.
And what a round it is! You know right from the off that you need your 'A' game at hand! The first is probably the hardest opening hole I have played. The clubhouse windows on the left shudder in fear of the horrendous hook shot that may fly off your club, and to the right Out of Bounds lies the whole way up the hole. Then also the fairway narrows to less than 20 yards at prime 3-wood range, so you are left with the quandary lay up and face a 200 yard approach shot over Out of Bounds or try and carry the corner with the big stick, personally I was happy to take a five! The second is a great short hole where again the emphasis is on driving accuracy, however once on the fairway good luck stopping the ball on a green that slopes away from you into deep swales. The third is a great risk/reward Par 5 where bunkers are a plenty but a good score is to be had so long as you find the right tier on the green. The fourth is a great par three with another tricky green, and cavernous bunkers awaiting the wayward tee shot. The fifth is another tight hole where accuracy on the drive and the approach are vital. There is a reason why it is S.I 1!! The sixth, although with a daunting tee shot is actually a kind respite from the previous 5 holes. But nevertheless danger still lies in wake! The seventh is another must hit Par 3 as complex swales leave a very tricky up and down. The eight is a cracker of a Par 5! You drive towards a narrowing fairway and there is a distinct possibility of leaving yourself a chance of getting on in two! However too close to the large mound at the end of the fairway and there is no choice to lay up! If you do go for it in two avoid the front right bunker at all costs! It is deep… The front nine then finishes with a great short Par 4 at which a 4 is a very good score!
At the start of the back nine the course comes into its own, with 10, 11 and 12 along the shoreline, where the views over the Dee estuary are so beautiful they make the sudden growth of bogeys on the card seem not that bad! The 13th is another Par 3 but where length is not the issue, but again accuracy. Miss this green at your peril! The 14th is a superb 3 shot Par 5 with danger lurking in the form of bunkers at the drive, lay up, and approach. The 15th is one of the hardest holes on the course, with Out of Bounds to the right and two big blows required to reach the green! The 16th is the final time that the Out of Bounds comes into play, but avoid that and there is a strong possibility of a rare birdie. The 17th has plenty of protection from bunkers at the front so take an extra club on the already long approach! Then the 18th closes the round in the same way it started, danger left and right off the tee and with a new bunker front right, there is an imperative on accuracy with the approach!
In all this is a course that is not for those who like the undulations of St Andrews, nor for those who like to smack a driver on every hole (I used mine 3 times!), but if one wants a supreme test of golf and great history, Hoylake is the place.  | | Saturday, March 20, 2010
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| | | What a place Hoylake is, I played there this week and it was a real treat. I have played here many times through the years and I can understand what people say about it being flat, but the course makes up for this in many different areas. For starters you have to be on top of your game right from the first tee, with the prevailing wind it makes it tough to reach the first in two shots of the back tees. It has four great par 3’s all challenging in different ways as they play in four different directions. The 11th is the most visual of all the holes. I have played the course off both the yellow and green tees and the greens tees are very demanding for visitors. When there is a good breeze the yellow tees are just perfect.
The club boasts absolutely brilliant practice facilities with one of the biggest putting greens I have been on. It also has two chipping greens that are just good as the greens on the course well worth a visit before the round.
There have been some extensive changes made to the course and I am definitely going to come back in the summer to see how they look and will be telling all my friends to go play because it really does deserve the rank of number 6.
That is the course and the clubhouse matches it. Seeing Tiger Woods 2 iron on display in the bar is a nice touch. The clubs heritage is a wonder to see through out the clubhouse. All the staff were very welcoming it felt as if I was a member something I can only dream of.
Royal Liverpool is a must for any golfer no matter their standard. | | Friday, March 05, 2010
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| | | Royal Liverpool Golf Club gets my vote for the most accessible Open Championship venue. Right from arrival you are made to feel special. There are no visitors parking spaces (not even the captain gets his own space), no visitors changing nor is there a members only bar. If you are a members guest or a paying visitor you are treated as a member for the day and you are free to roam around and enjoy all of the trimmings that the members enjoy on a daily basis. The golf course is subtly brilliant. It may not have the sand dunes of a Birkdale or the tree lined fairways of Formby but the course is a joy to play. The views for the stretch of holes 9-12 are simply stunning (I wanted to stay on the 11th green forever!). The course is also very tough and with recent changes coming into play this coming spring, it promises to be even tougher when the pros next come to town. Overall, it was one of my most enjoyable golfing experiences and I look forward to my next visit. | | Monday, February 08, 2010
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| | | Having played Hoylake a number of times when I was younger, when my handicap was higher, I can understand why some comment that the course is less visually appealing away from the coast and ultimately a fairly flat layout. It never struck me as exciting as other Open venues. However, having played there more regularly over the past year, I have fallen in love with this classic golfing gem. The place is inspiring both from the history in its halls to the immense golfing challenge that it sets. Having now experienced the full gamut of conditions I can vouch for the fact that it tests every department of a single-figure handicapper’s game, you find you are rarely hitting the same shot twice in a round.
I think the mix of dunes and flatter areas ensure that you get an experience that is tough but fair, I have played many dune based courses were it feels like you have to give away too much control of your own destiny to the vagaries of the land. At Hoylake, if you hit a great shot you are likely to be rewarded, if you go astray you will really start to struggle. I also think that the greens really live up to the saying that ‘if you can’t putt at Hoylake, you can’t putt anywhere’, they are true, excellently manicured and have a sensible balance of flat putts and some swales & ledges.
I’ve also seen some comments about the routing of the course, especially around the internal out of bounds. I personally think that 1, 15 and 16 that border the OOB are amongst the best on the links. Hole 1 is a fantastic opening hole, it’s a simple layout, dogleg around the OOB, but the visual impact of that divided wide open space makes it difficult to place the ball where you need to, then a long iron into the green tucked in against the OOB tests the nerves before you’ve got into your stride, especially with the prevailing wind pushing you towards the boundary. Later in the round the 16 runs alongside it again, and offers a great risk reward to get an achievable birdie, but with the opportunity of blotting a good score card. Overall though, the route along the coast from 9 to 12 is an exceptional piece of golfing real estate, with fantastic and varied views across the Dee estuary. In particular hole 11 offers a striking par 3 with a huge green that reduces to a sliver of bright green back on the tee.
For anyone who has not played the course in the last year or so, it’s worth another visit to see the new links changes, the bunkers are better positioned, tighter and there are some great new run-off areas, with a new 17th green complex being built as I write. Overall, a great golfing experience although I think that the club should open up the longer course to visitors. Playing the green tees (in the summer) is the only way to really appreciate the course with all of its subtleties.
| | Saturday, November 28, 2009
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| | Royal Liverpool is a very pleasant experience BUT...6th best in England? - no way! - OK so I played it in very benign conditions and off shortened tees but I wouldn't hurry back - my acid test for greatness is how many truly memorable holes the course offers up and Hoylake has hardly any - if you're visiting this part of the world and planning to play some of the links, do yourself a favour, drive past Liverpool and go just a little further north to Royal Birkdale...it's in a different league  | | Friday, October 23, 2009
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| Response: | | | Neil Moores | Monday, November 23, 2009 | | It is interesting to see such varied comments regarding Hoylake. I think those who really appreciate a true test of Golf, appreciate how good this course is. Yes is looks disappointing stood on the first tee, because this part of the course is flat, but once you get into the round you realise the subtleties of the challenge ahead. Getting the ball round in sub 80 is a tough task for any single figure player. I would think the better players are those who left the most complementary comments. This really is a great course; but don't take my word for it, read what Tiger Woods had to say! |
| | | The course without doubt is a very special place. The clubhouse has some great touches throughout, namely all the Tiger handouts. When you get there its hard to believe the place has hosted a modern Open as its a relatively small place. I do understand all the reviews where people have been slightly let down with the course. Before playing it one guy said he hated the course because it was just a 'ploughed field' but I completely disagree with this. It, to me, is a course that hasn't been changed a great deal from when it was first designed, much like Royal North Devon. The greens are small, contoured and fast. The fairways are tight with out of bounds on most (each side!) and the tee boxes are flat and in great nick. In general the condition was excellent, especially for April. My main criticism is the overall length of the course. I feel that this is a huge problem with all the Open courses. When we played the course it was roughly a 1000 yards shorter than when Woods and co played it. The main issue is that most of the bunkers on the fairway are out of play and the ones around the green are hard to hit as you are hitting mostly short irons. I phoned a couple of Open venues and all had shortened the course by at least 800 yards. I understand that they have to maintain their standards but when your playing the massive green fees then you expect to play the full course. Overall though the course was a massive inspiration to me and relit my passion for the game, just wish I could afford to play the other Royals in the area! | | Tuesday, October 06, 2009
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| | | A good golf course, but not as great as I expected. The course is flat, and not very spectacular. The best holes are 9, 11 and 12. The opening hole, and nr. 16, where you on both play around the corner of the driving range (which is OB) are the weakest holes on the course. Condition where reasonably good, although they had been doing work on both greens and fariways | | Sunday, October 04, 2009
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| | | I was raelly impressed by the set up, the friendliness of the pro shop and bar staff. Loved the clubhouse and sense of history. With the course I was a little disappointed. It is very flat and lacks much definition. No doubt tough but not my favourite. Played West Lancs same few days and found it preferable. Not bad but not in my top 20 | | Saturday, September 26, 2009
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| | | I played Hoylake on a winters day - however there wasn't a breath of wind, so the course played relatively easy. I loved Royal Liverpool. The moment you arrive you have a sense of history. Surprisingly flat - I would consider it unusual, interesting and very enjoyable. Very pleasant and welcoming - and the bast bacon sandwich around! | | Monday, October 06, 2008
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| | | Tough, tough, tough, very tough! I loved it, did I mention that Royal Liverpool was tough? Nearly as good as Wallasey. | | Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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| | | First thing that strikes you is the magnificent clubhouse, the history and memorabilia inside need to be taken in, very special. The course itself is a tough examination, the rough at present is penal - you need both draws and fades off the tee to play this well. When on the course you find it is far from featureless, missing greens often leaves a very tricky pitch, all in all it is pleasing to see it back on the open rota. We were very well looked after also by friendly and professional staff. | | Friday, July 11, 2008
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| | | A great course in superb condition and steeped in history. Played in March 08 for £50 which included a bacon sandwich and coffee, the round and then soup and sandwiches. Great value, but expensive when paying the full price. The course is flat in places but that does not detract from the quality of the design and enjoyment. My only disappointment was that the yellow tees were almost next to the ladies making it less than 6000 yards. As a single figure handicapper it would be nice to experience more of the test that this course will provide. Not as pretty as the Souhtport courses but an excellent golf course. | | Wednesday, March 19, 2008
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| | | Played Hoylake last June and enjoyed the overall experience. The course is not all that it is hyped up to be, clearly over rated in the rankings. The course is dead flat except for a few holes, the bunkers are as difficult as you will find anywhere. Play away from the fairway bunkers at all costs and the course isn't that hard in calm conditions. The club has the Open Championship feel it just isn't an exciting course, lacks good views, has a few fun links shots. The club house is fantastic and the clubs history is second to none, locker rooms are first class. The pro shop, starter and reception area is a bit commercial / corporate that is a negative. Best holes are 1, 9, 11, 13, 17. Very nice practice ground with short game area. It isn't worth the money but is worth a quick visit to have a look around. | | Sunday, February 10, 2008
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| | | I was able to play Hoylake about a week after the 2006 Open, and the course was actually in very nice condition, despite the appearance on television. This is a very good golf course. The holes present you with a variety of challenges and the greens can be subtly difficult. The members were all very polite and justifiably proud of their course and how it held up during the Open.
My only complaint is that they force visitors to play from some ridiculously short tees. We probably played the course at under 6000 yards versus the 7400 yard set-up for the open. While I am not an advocate of "playing from the tips" just to satisfy my ego, I do like to play a course and be presented with similar challanges to the champion players. I can't see why they don't set the course up to 6700 or 6800 yards for single digit handicap golfers so they can better appreciate the challenges of the course.
That being said, Royal Liverpool should be on the Open rotation for some time and I believe will present some memorable championships in the future.
Richard Smith, Knoxville, Tennessee | | Saturday, December 15, 2007
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| Response: | | | Russell Lambert | Monday, May 10, 2010 | | We also had to play from tees about as far forward as they could go. It significantly shortened the course and lessened the challenge and makes you feel a little short changed as you only get to play half the course. |
| | | I found every hole to be a good hole. The routing is interesting and varied. The use of bunkers is very strategic. This is one of golf's true gems.
| | Monday, December 03, 2007
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| | I felt that Royal Liverpol Links is a dull un inviting contribution to todays modern golfing society. The flat featureless terrain contributed in no way to interferring with or even creating challenging play. Its maintenance was the only attribute to this otherwise shambollic course. | | Saturday, December 01, 2007
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| | Played Royal Liverpool a month after the Open. The clubhouse is magnificent both inside and out but couldn't help being underwhelmed by the course. No doubt it's tough but it lacks any really memorable holes. 9-15 (on the Open layout) in the dunes are good but the rest of the course is flat with no definition to the holes. If you're visiting the North West I would recommend any of the Southport courses particularly Hillside over Hoylake.  | | Tuesday, June 19, 2007
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| Response: | | | Tom Way | Saturday, December 01, 2007 | | I felt that Royal Liverpol links was a disssipointing exception to todays modern golfing society, as i walked down the 18th I felt manipulated into spending so much on playing what I perceive as a simple well kept course. The green staff should try adding a few more features and obstacles to interfere with play. If you want to play a mature and exhilirating course should play marlborugh golf club its value and quality of condition is incomparable to LIverpool Links. |
| | | What a tough course! I played in a competition there a few weeks back and really struggled. The wind was described by a local as 'fresh' however I thought it pretty damn windy! I am a fairly long hitter and often struggled to get anywhere near the green in two (We were playing off the back tees). Although I played no-where near my handicap it was a fun couple of days and I thought nearly as difficult as Royal Lytham St Annes but austere rather than magnificient. Royal Birkdale remains my favourite of all the NW courses...by a clear margin. | | Tuesday, June 05, 2007
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| | | I have played all of the courses on the current Open rota. Royal Liverpool is barely fit to be listed alongside Birkdale, Muirfield etc. It is flat, forgettable and pointless. | | Tuesday, April 03, 2007
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| Response: | | | Chris Jones | Thursday, April 26, 2007 | | Very harsh and not that constructive really. I agree flat - but no way pointless. |
| | | I was fortunate enough to play for 2 days back to back about a month after the open with my friend who is a member. This is a spectacular test of golf and plays very differently hole to hole. The views on the inward stretch are fab. The staff are warm and receptive and the facilities top notch. Would highly recommend. | | Thursday, March 22, 2007
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| | | Played here recently on the back of the return of the Open Championship to follow in the footsteps of the best. Really enjoyed the course and this was a decent test – inevitable wind and deep bunkers are really tricky. Had a go at holing out from 190 yards on the 14th like Tiger did, guess what I missed! Got my safe double bogey though! Is it flat? Yes – Are there many dunes? No… does it matter – definitely not. The wind and the deep bunkers are plenty to deal with and it is easy to run up some big scores. There is still a nice buzz around two months on and all the staff remain on a high after the world’s best came to town. Received a warm welcome at the course from all the staff – a credit to the club and the area. | | Friday, September 15, 2006
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| | | i had the ultimate privilage to play hoylake 4 days after the open and couldnt of asked for more, i have never and probably never will put on truer greens, sheer golfing indugence to play a course in championship condition on the driest looking but still plenty of grass on the fairways, then i birdied the 13th and got up down on the 12th where tiger couldnt. i was a bit naughty as they told me play of the yellow markers but stuff that i played off the green markers and got much better value for my golf even if i did finish with 2 doubles and bogey and on par 5's. the club house was beautiful with a great lunch and lots of history to look at, maybe my name sake john ball visited me that great day, thanks hoylake for wonderful open championship and wonderful round. | | Sunday, September 10, 2006
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| | | Some would say it's flat and boring and I'd agree with the flat bit but boring it certainly isn't... it's a supreme test of golf albeit a bit austere. As the historc 2006 Open looms I was actually looking forward to seeing a couple of girls embarrass themselves from the tips of this monster layout. Sadly Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie have today ruled themselves out and I think it's right too... this is a bloke's competition not a mixed event. I can't wait to play here again later this year once the Open circus has moved on. | | Wednesday, March 15, 2006
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| | | If it’s tradition you’re looking for, look no further than Royal Liverpool. The clubhouse is full of old wood and silverware and the course saw the beginnings of golf in England. I will look on with interest when the Open returns in 2006. I have no idea how they will cope with the crowds and tented villages etc. The course is not the most inspiring in the land and many would say that it’s flat and boring but make no mistake it’s a true, honest and tough test of links golf. Not keen on the internal OOB – which comes in to play right from the off. The 17th is one of my favourites and is a tough par four. Undeniably a top quality course that has to be played but I personally prefer Birkdale and Hillside. Hugh | | Friday, April 08, 2005
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| | | Hoylake is a true links. Bring your A game or you will be in trouble. This course is as good a test of your inner game as any I have come across. You will get bad bounces, be beaten senseless by the wind and have chips and putts to make you feel ill. There are some genuinely stunning holes on this course and the 10th and 11th stand out for me. I grew up on links golf in the north of Wales and to be able to venture onto the Royal Liverpool course is a true privilege. This course will not suit everyones tastes, as it is a rough and rugged test of golf. The course is maintained to impeccable standards and affords a truly memorable round of golf. Not to be tried if you like your greens soft and receptive and you just want to enjoy a couple of hours on the course. This is a serious course for serious golfers. | | Wednesday, May 19, 2004
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