Royal Liverpool Golf Club Key Information
A historic club where classic links holes blend seamlessly with modern design influences. Significant course enhancements have been undertaken with advice from renowned course architect Martin Ebert. This is a true championship course and always a fabulous Open venue as 2023 proved.
REASONS TO PLAY ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB
– Superb piece of links land with expansive skies and rolling terrain
– A great feeling of history to be found on the second oldest English seaside course
– A layout that's always evolving and one that's maintained impeccably
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 13
Historic Royal Liverpool or Hoylake has been a staple in the top 15 of our Top 100 golf courses UK&I ranking since 2009.
Built in 1869, on what was then the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club, Hoylake is the second oldest of the English seaside courses, after Westward Ho! It's one of the very best links in England.
The club has played host to The Open Championship on 13 occasions with recent winners Brian Harman, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods demonstrating the quality of golf demanded by this excellent course.
At the tip of the Wirral peninsula and set on fairly flat ground, it’s a superb layout with beautiful greens and wonderful natural contours. Always maintained in immaculate condition, there are some uniquely memorable golf holes to experience at Hoylake. It’s a course where emphasis is placed on strong driving and tee shots must be threaded between punishing bunkering.
Major works were undertaken in preparation for July 2023 and the most recent Open Championship to be contested at Hoylake, with advice from course architect Martin Ebert and all overseen by Royal Liverpool’s experienced Course Manager Craig Gilholm.
Special note should be made of recently designed par-3 15th "Little Eye" (which played as the 17th for The Open.) The design is imaginative, original and a little different in look compared to the rest of the course. The natural grass and sandy areas combine wonderfully with the raised green turned toward the coast. The bunkering is well thought out and the drop off areas quite punishing. I think it’s a great addition. There were also been changes to further greens, tees, bunkers, hollows and mounding around the course.
Playing any championship course allows you to test your ability against what the best in the world experience and I always find Hoylake is a true example of this. The opening few holes ease you into the round although good shots are still required.
Once into the heart of the round all aspects of your game will be tested, and you will need all of them to be working to score well. Accuracy is key throughout especially as you reach the back nine. I always enjoy the subtle run-off areas around the greens that can cost you shots but give you options. It's a great test.
What's new for 2025/26? What our panellists said…
The routing, like Muirfield, constantly changes so it is not a constant slog into the wind. The wind can scream across the flatter part of the course, unprotected by the dunes, but each hole is protected by cleverly sighted and often penal pot bunkers that reveal its true architectural strengths. The Course Manager, James Bledge, left no stone unturned to present the very best conditioned course available for the 2023 Open and those improvements remain.
Although the first 3 holes are somewhat uninspiring, holes 1 to 12 are a very interesting sequence of holes. All the green complexes are quite exceptional. The clubhouse is full of grand history, a place you would love to spend an afternoon spinning yarns with your pals. There is a real sense of old-fashioned quality in every aspect.
Royal Liverpool Golf Club Location
Best Courses near to Royal Liverpool Golf Club
For all the best courses in the area check out our guide to the best courses in Cheshire
Best Places to Stay Near Royal Liverpool Golf Club
Titanic Hotel Liverpool - Book now at Booking.com
At Liverpool’s Stanley Dock, the Titanic Hotel Liverpool is found in the site’s former North Warehouse. The hotel is also home to the dockside Stanleys Bar and Grill and Rum Bar. Just 5 mins from Liverpool centre and a short drive to Hoylake.
Hillbark Hotel and Spa - Book here now
An elegant country house hotel just inland from Royal Liverpool. The Hillbark Hotel offers a luxurious retreat and is a hugely relaxing place to unwind after a day's golf.
Royal Liverpool Golf Club Course Gallery
Royal Liverpool Golf Club Historical Top 100 Ranking UK&I
- 2025/26 - 13
- 2023/24 - 12
- 2021/22 - 12
- 2019/20 – 14
- 2017/18 - 14
- 2015/16 - 12
- 2013/14 - 15
- 2011/12 - 13
- 2009/10 - 13
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play Royal Liverpool?
Visitors are welcome at Royal Liverpool. For more information visit the Royal Liverpool website or phone 0151 632 3101.
Why is Royal Liverpool called Hoylake?
It's quite simple really - It's because Royal Liverpool sits in the seaside town of Hoylake at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula.
How many times has Royal Liverpool hosted the Open Championship?
Royal Liverpool or Hoylake has played host to The Open Championship on 13 occasions, most recently in 2023. Golf Monthly's first editor Harold Hilton won the first Hoylake Open back in 1897. Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods and (most recently) Brian Harman and Rory McIlroy have all been Open winners at Royal Liverpool.
