Formby Golf Club

Formby Golf Club sits on the Lancashire coast between Liverpool and Southport and it's a cracking test if you like your golf proper and sandy underfoot. It's often described as a links, but it's not the wide-open seaside slog you might expect. Instead, you get a distinctive mix of links and woodland, with fairways running through pine-covered dunes that take the sting out of the wind in places.

The opening holes feel sheltered and tactical, then the back nine steps out into more exposed ground where the breeze has more say. When it's up, you'll need to pick smart lines and commit. Miss them and you're dealing with deep revetted bunkers and rough that's more than happy to swallow a slightly lazy swing.

The greens are quick and subtly contoured rather than wildly dramatic, so putting is more about pace and nerve than reading huge breaks. It's the sort of course that rewards accuracy and a bit of patience, especially if you're trying to plot your way round rather than overpower it.

Visitors are made welcome and the clubhouse has that traditional, member-led feel, relaxed enough for societies but still special for a "we've played a proper venue today" round. It feels a touch less formal than some nearby big names, which I think suits a lot of golf trips.

If you're building a Southport-area golf tour, Formby is an easy one to slot in alongside Royal Birkdale, Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale.

Who is this for?
Golfers planning a North West links run who want a championship-calibre course that's close to Liverpool and within easy reach of the Southport heavy-hitters.

Who is it best for?
Mid to low handicappers and confident ball-strikers who enjoy strategic bunkering and don't mind the wind turning a good score into a grind.