I like the course quite a bit.I first played it in 1990 and was eager to play it again this past spring. In the interim I must admit that I had doubts whether I had overrated it (from listening to Ran). However, the recent round there convinced me that, if anything, I had underrated Hoylake. As Ran notes, the bunkering is outstanding (I had to resist the temptation of taking dozens of photographs of close-ups of bunkers, they are so well constructed) and the greens quite good (e.g., the rolls on the 3rd and 15th greens). The setting works well. True, the housing to the left of 6, 7 and 8 is not quite of the same standard as at Fishers Island. The routing frequently changes direction and makes good use of the limited dunesland (which also serves as a nice backdrop for the flatter, less exciting parts of the course). The four short holes play in three different directions, although on a calm day you might play the same club to all of them. Yes, there is something artificial to the challenges on several holes such as 1,16 and 17, but that somehow seems appropriate here and not out of place at all.It has a splendid collection of holes with no weaknesses. The 14th hole went up considerably in my mind, although it remains perhaps the least interesting hole on the course. The 2nd hole is very appealing. I wonder about the new 7th. If I had not known the previous version, on this recent trip I would have thought it a fine hole, but . . . I can't help but feel some remorse for the passing of the old 7th with the cop and OB hard against the left edge of the green.Overall, Ryal Liverpool certainly belongs in the same class as Carnoustie, and a good argument could be made for putting it ahead of the Scottish course. The two are similar in that each is not the most visually-appealing, each has tremendous bunkering and each is a stern test. Hoylake, however, seems to win in the "charm" department.