West Lancashire Golf Club

[Duncan Cheslett]

I played Wests Lancs today in an open comp.


I thought the course was magnificent - easily the equal of the more renowned courses just up the coast. Yet it receives barely a mention on here.


Why the lack of love and attention?


No pics, I'm afraid. I did snatch a few but got home to discover that I'd not put a memory card in my camera! 


http://www.westlancashiregolf.co.uk/

[Sean Walsh]

I played it at the end of 2007.


All I remember is a good solid Links course. I'll have to check out the link and see what I'm forgetting.


Very much the poorer cousin in PR terms of the Lancashire set of Links courses

[Jon Wiggett]

Duncan,


West Lancs is a great course which is well under the radar of most golfers. Glad you enjoyed it.


Jon

[Sean_A]

I wouldn't say West Lancs is a great course nor in the same league with nearby Formby or Birkdale.  West Lancs is good enough that I can see people being taken by the course.  There are some very fine holes among what is generally quite a straight forward links...it makes my Top 100 GB&I list, but not the Happy 100. The one issue I have is nearly all the holes play between dunes/isolated mounds. I think of the course as in the same vein as Princes, but not as good.  There is virtually no up n' over golf using the features in a more daring manner.  When I played the course a handful of times many moons ago the conditioning was second to none. For those traveling up/down the M6, West Lancs is a short detour off the motorway and good place to break up a journey. However, West Lancs ain't cheap...probably £100 these days...thats why I haven't visited in yonks.   


Ciao

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I've played it in the past. I had a friend who was a member, long since deceased. It wasn't a bad track, but it had less feature than, say, Formby. You get to see the sea very rarely despite your proximity to it and the clubhouse is ghastly. Having said that it had less feature, there were, however, no tricked up holes. It was all pretty straightforward. 

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I should also have added that it was always in very good condition and dry underfoot, but then I always played in the summer. It is a difficult course to photograph because there is so little change of elevation.

[David_Tepper]

Tour of the West Lance course, with video flyovers of each hole:

http://www.westlancashiregolf.co.uk/tour-of-the-course/

[Duncan Cheslett]

I wouldn't say West Lancs is a great course nor in the same league with nearby Formby or Birkdale. 

I can't comment on Birkdale but I would put West Lancs above S&A and Hillside and snapping at Formby's heels.

However, West Lancs ain't cheap...probably £100 these days...thats why I haven't visited in yonks.   

We paid £45 in an open comp organised by Finch Golf Tours. Its a great way to play quality courses at bargain prices. Formby next week is £65.


http://www.finchgolftour.com/

[Sean_A]

I wouldn't say West Lancs is a great course nor in the same league with nearby Formby or Birkdale. 

I can't comment on Birkdale but I would put West Lancs above S&A and Hillside and snapping at Formby's heels.

However, West Lancs ain't cheap...probably £100 these days...thats why I haven't visited in yonks.   

We paid £45 in an open comp organised by Finch Golf Tours. Its a great way to play quality courses at bargain prices. Formby next week is £65.


http://www.finchgolftour.com/

IMO...Formby is comfortably the better course because it has miles more variety.

Formby  top 25 GB&I

West Lancs & Hillside top 75 GB&I

S&A not in the picture

Ciao

[James Boon]

Duncan,

I played West lancs earlier this year, one of those April days when the sleet is coming in sideways, and I loved it! But I think I loved being out on the course and the rugged challenge against nature more than the course itself, not that its a bad course, just not as good as some of its neighbours...

A solid course with some great holes, and the greens and their surrounds were all excellent and well placed! But the tee shots and fairways as a whole didnt offer much variety. As Sean says a few more up and over the dunes would have helped?

I dont know the full history, but I believe James Braid was the last to work on the course, and many of the greens felt like his?

I'm all for modern clubhouses, but the one at West Lancs is a bit off an oddity. Not a looker by anyones standards and to get from the changing rooms to the bar, you have to go back outside? 

Cheers,

James

[Thomas Dai]

West Lancs hold a considerable number of amateur open comps, such as the one Duncan played in, including some multi-day-multi-course events. Worth investigating I suggest.


Atb

[Tony_Muldoon]

Sean where does Wallasey sit?

[Sean_A]

Sean where does Wallasey sit?

Top 100 GB&I, but I could easily entertain an argument for top 75.  There are a lot of cool holes at Wallasey and I would definitely return..prefer it to West Lancs.  Shame about the flatter holes though.  If these were more thoughtfully done Wallasey stock would dramatically rise. 


Ciao