Golf Near Blackpool: Why the Sefton Coast Links Are Worth the Drive

If you're based in or around Blackpool and you play golf, the Sefton Coast is closer than most people realise. Royal Birkdale to the centre of Blackpool is around 35 miles by road. In summer, with traffic, that's 45–55 minutes. For that journey you're accessing some of the finest links golf in Britain — a different proposition from anything available on the Fylde itself.

I'll be honest about the Fylde courses. Lytham and St Annes has Royal Lytham, which is excellent and occasionally hosts the Open Championship itself. But the corridor from Formby to Birkdale gives you five distinct championship-quality courses within a few miles of each other. It's a different day out.

The Five Courses You Should Know

Royal Birkdale is the headline. Green fee: around £320 for visitors with a handicap certificate, booked months in advance. It's worth doing once if you take the game seriously. The conditioning is immaculate, the challenge is genuine, and the course has hosted the Open Championship nine times.

Hillside is the second course and frankly it's extraordinary. It's missed from most visitor radar because it sits adjacent to Birkdale, but Hillside is a stunning layout through elevated duneland with some of the most dramatic terrain on the coast. Green fee: around £100–£150, visitor access better than Birkdale.

Southport and Ainsdale is the best value on the coast for championship quality — around £65–£100 including a post-round meal, which makes the price genuinely competitive. It's hosted the Ryder Cup twice, which tells you enough about the standard.

West Lancashire and Formby Golf Club complete the set. West Lancs is raw and elemental — right on the coast, properly exposed. Formby is more sheltered, with a distinctive wooded section through the pines in the middle of the course.

A Day Out From Blackpool

The practical setup for a day from Blackpool is straightforward. Drive south on the A584 to Lytham, then pick up the A565 to Birkdale. The drive takes you along the coast and the courses are well-signposted once you're in Southport. Add lunch in Birkdale village or Southport town centre and you've got a full day.

Southport town centre is worth an hour at either end of the day if you're not familiar with it. Lord Street — the main Victorian boulevard with glass canopies — is a decent place to eat, and Southport Market on Market Street is good for a quick lunch on the way to the course.

What to Book

• →Royal Birkdale: book 3+ months ahead, handicap required (24 men, 36 ladies), green fee around £320
• →Hillside: book 4–8 weeks ahead for visitors, green fee around £100–£150
• →Southport & Ainsdale: more accessible, book 2–4 weeks ahead, includes post-round meal
• →West Lancashire: visitor access reasonably good, elemental links experience, around £80–£130
• →Formby Golf Club: quieter feel, pine section unique on the coast, book ahead

July 2026: The Open is Here

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale 12–19 July 2026. Tickets are largely sold out for championship days but practice round tickets are more available. If you're already planning to come south from Blackpool to play golf, this is the year to make it a proper trip.

Even without tickets, the town during Open week is worth experiencing. The atmosphere is unlike anything Southport does at any other time of year. Pair it with a round at Hillside or S&A while you're in the area.