The Open Championship was staged at Royal Lytham and St Annes for the eleventh time in 2012, underlining its position among the country's elite links courses and a popular Open venue.
The layout at Royal Lytham and St Annes is the most Northerly English course on The Open rota, situated 10 miles north of Royal Birkdale on 'England's Golf Coast' with Blackpool Tower visible in the distance.
The course may have celebrated its centenary in 1998, but only minor alterations have been made to George Lowe's original design; the renowned Harry S. Colt's changes in 1919 being the most severe, adding over 200 pot bunkers to ensure that Lytham remained a true championship seaside test.
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The general consensus is that Lytham is not the most aesthetically satisfying course, being located close to some suburban housing, but any shortfall in prettiness is certainly well compensated for by the remarkable clarity of the course's design. Granted Royal status by King George V in 1926, Lytham is renowned for its merciless difficulty, but many believe it to be the country's fairest test of championship links golf; when David Duval triumphed in 2001, commentators praised the quality of the design, as well as the outstanding set-up and condition, which proved to be a great leveller and rewarded the most consistent play.
Lovers of links golf are sure to be enchanted by the wind-swept landscape at Lytham, where the championship seaside layout is enough to rival the best that the English coastline has to offer, and is a certain highlight of any pilgrimage to this famous golfing stretch in Southport.
Royal Lytham and St Annes is ranked as one of the best courses in England
| Par | 70 |
|---|---|
| Designed by | George Lowe / Harry Colt |
| Opened for play | 1886 |
| Previously hosted | Open Championship, Women's Open and Ryder Cup |
| Championship | 7,118 yards | Par 70 |
|---|---|---|
| Red | 6,731 yards | Par 71 |
| Green | 6,360 yards | Par 71 |
| Ladies | 5,854 yards | Par 75 |
Royal Lytham & St Annes was the fourth English course to hold The Open after Royal St George's, Royal Liverpool and Royal Cinque Ports, the Championship has been held there a total of 11 times.
| Year | Winner | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Ernie Els | South Africa | -7 |
| 2001 | David Duval | USA | -10 |
| 1996 | Tom Lehman | USA | -13 |
| 1988 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | -11 |
| 1979 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | -1 |
| 1974 | Gary Player | South Africa | -2 |
| 1969 | Tony Jacklin | England | -4 |
| 1963 | Bob Charles | New Zealand | -3 |
| 1958 | Peter Thomson | Australia | -6 |
| 1952 | Bobby Locke | South Africa | -1 |
| 1926 | Bobby Jones | USA | 291 gross |
Royal Lytham and St Anne's Golf Club is situated 6 miles south of Blackpool, just a mile from St Annes-on-the-Sea train station.
Address: Links Gate, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England, FY8 3LQ
Andrew
✓26 Mar 2019
Fantastic rooms ... just lacked a kettle in the room
Richard
✓10 Oct 2025
Paddy
✓10 May 2025
Krista
✓10 Jul 2024
Krista
✓10 Jul 2024
Since we had to drive an hour there and back had no time to enjoy the facilities pre and post round. Course was top class.
Karl
✓10 Jul 2023
Great venue and course, but 4 Americans with caddies in front of us made the round too slow.
Pádraic
✓21 Mar 2023
they are doing a refurbishment and the facilities are minimal as a result . The greens had a lot of sand which took from the experience .
Myungwon
✓16 Sep 2022
Steve
✓20 Jul 2022
Very firm and fast when we played it. Rough was down, so if you kept it straight off the tee, you had a decent chance of scoring well. Keep out of the bunkers (there are 167) as they are very penal. Greens aren’t too undulating, so not too taxing. Some superb holes, the 18th being the highlight for me. Stooped in history, the staff were very welcoming and friendly. A bit pricy - around £300 - but worth every penny. We were behind a four ball from the USA, so a little slow. Allow an hour or so to travel from Southport.
Susan
✓22 Jun 2022
One of the best golf days ever. From arrival we were made to feel welcome by staff and club members. The course was in superb condition, not busy and neither were we paired up with someone else as is often the case at other courses. Absolutely first rate in all respects at a club steeped in golfing history. What more could you ask for😊 Thank you Rhys at Your Golf Travel for your time and making this special day possible.
Jon
✓15 May 2022
Excellent
Mark
✓12 Apr 2022
Fantastic experience - we had great caddies and the hospitality was first class
Mark
✓18 Oct 2021
Robin
✓30 Aug 2021
There is no real welcome like many other premium courses. A helpful security guard handled things at the end when the pro shop was closed with many people still on the course. The course itself is beautiful, very challenging but a true links experience. There are no ocean views.
Peter
✓2 Aug 2021
Laurie
✓30 Jul 2021
Gerry
✓11 Jul 2021
It looked an easy course when standing on the first tee, I came off feeling bruised and battered it was a real test. I would like to thank YGT for arranging this break, we should have been in turkey but Covid stopped that.Not a bad replacement.
Mike
✓6 Jul 2021
Mark
✓2 Jul 2021
Michael
✓26 Jun 2021
Playing Latham &St Anne’s was an absolute joy. The course was in spectacular condition and weather was great. The fairways played well and the rough was punishing but was able to find wayward shots.Greens were wonderful to putt on.Everyone at the club should be congratulated for creating the whole experience so wonderful.
Antoinette
✓7 Jul 2019
Perfect weather made it a fantastic experience. Loved every moment.
Charlie
✓27 Jun 2019
Alan
✓6 May 2019
Good course plenty of bunkers, only downside, the pre booked caddies did not show up
Andrew
✓26 Mar 2019
Amazing course brilliant condition for the time of year .... awesome
Anthony
✓20 Sep 2018
Ian
✓24 Jan 2017
Have the special of the day before going out.
Check-in from 12:30pm | Check-out from 9am
7-10am
Jacket and Tie required
The Dining Room
Yes
Yes
£50 plus discretionary
Tee times for visitors are available between 2:40-4pm
There is 1 bar on site
There is complimentary car parking
