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The Global Golfer Top 100
Royal Liverpool Golf Club — Hoylake
Hoylake, Wirral, England · #11 in the World
Location: Hoylake, Wirral, England | Ranking: #11 — The Global Golfer Top 100
Type: Links | Partner Stay: The Hillbark Hotel; Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa
Editor’s Note: Royal Liverpool holds an unmatched place in golf history — it hosted the first Amateur Championship (1885), Tiger Woods won his 2006 Open here without finding a single bunker, and Rory McIlroy’s 2014 Open demolition of the field remains the most dominant major championship performance of the modern era. The course is deceptively flat — the inland holes through the rough-edged fields of Hoylake require wind management and precision that its photograph cannot convey.
1. Travel & Logistics
- How to Get There: Hoylake is 10 miles west of Liverpool on the Wirral Peninsula via the M53 and A551.
- Nearest Airport: Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) — 25 mins. Manchester Airport (MAN) — 50 mins.
- By Train: Liverpool Central to Hoylake on the Merseyrail network — 40 minutes, direct. The station is 5 minutes’ walk from the course.
2. Contact & Booking
- Tel: +44 (0)151 632 3101 | Email: secretary@royal-liverpool-golf.com
- Website: royal-liverpool-golf.com
- How to Book: Visitor tee times Monday–Friday. Handicap certificate required (max 18 men / 24 ladies). Book 3+ months ahead.
- Course Rating / Slope: Championship: 76.8 / 148 | Medal: 74.5 / 143
- Green Fees: From £250 per round
3. Championship Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 35 |
| Yards | 433 | 443 | 528 | 200 | 530 | 425 | 200 | 449 | 393 | 3,601 |
Par 4
Par 3
Par 5
Total
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 72 |
| Yards | 432 | 196 | 453 | 160 | 551 | 461 | 201 | 456 | 562 | 3,472 | 7,258 |
4. Hole-by-Hole Strategy
Hole 1 — Par 4, 433 Yards
- Strategy: The out-of-bounds internal road (the “cop”) runs along the left of many holes — the defining and most unusual feature of Hoylake. Aim right-centre to avoid it. The course’s flatness is deceptive; the coastal wind creates entirely different plays in opposite directions.
Hole 16 — Par 4, 201 Yards
- Strategy: One of the most demanding par 3s in Open Championship history — a long iron across the cop to a green with out-of-bounds tight right. Tiger famously made par here every day in 2006 without finding a single bunker on the entire course in 72 holes.
Hole 18 — Par 5, 562 Yards
- Strategy: Rory McIlroy’s closing birdie in 2014 was one of the great championship moments. The cop runs the full left side; any drive that drifts left is immediately out of bounds. A controlled draw to the right side opens an ambitious second.
5. The 19th Hole — Where to Stay & Dine
- Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa (4★): The best hotel base for Royal Liverpool — 20 minutes from Hoylake with excellent spa facilities. Book via Expedia →
- The Hillbark Hotel (5★): A Tudor-revival manor house on the Wirral — intimate, extraordinary and completely unexpected. 15 minutes from the course.
- Liverpool City Centre: 40 minutes by train — the Beatles Story, Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock dining and the best live music scene in the UK outside London.