Southport Old Links Golf Club

Golf at Southport Old Links Golf Club dates back to 1892, making it one of the region's oldest golf courses. Despite its compact nine-hole layout, the course features 18 different tees that create the challenge of an 18-hole round, with a total length of 6244 yards and a par of 72.

The course has undergone several improvements, including investment in fairways and greens, and the construction of a new clubhouse. The traditional challenges of a links course, such as strong sea-breezes and strategically placed bunkers, are prominent features at Southport Old Links.

Recent development work on the course includes a redesign of the nine-hole course's final approach and green-complex, managed by golf course designer Marc Westenborg. This was necessitated by concerns over the safety and proximity of the course's final green to adjacent property, resulting in changes to tees and fairway bunkering.

The redesign project, which faced challenging weather conditions, involved multiple local and specialist companies, demonstrating a community effort with members contributing to the relaying of turf. Marc Westenborg, now an EIGCA sustainable design leader, led the design efforts, ensuring the new green served dual functions for the ninth and eighteenth holes.

While Southport Old Links is not directly on the coastline, it retains many characteristics of a traditional links course, including fescue in fairways resembling those found at seaside courses. The course construction on old farmland offers a combination of rootzone soil and peat, the latter of which influences both drainage and soil moisture retention.

Tony Rimmer, a golf course manager with experience working on true links courses, suggests that the playing conditions at Southport Old Links align closely with conventional links play, despite the lack of coastal dunes. The presence of willow and silver birch trees on the course adds a distinctive element, especially when strong winds contribute to fallen debris and additional maintenance considerations.