Playing the Sefton Coast Links in June: The Best Month on the Course

I have played the Sefton Coast courses in every month of the year. January is elemental and occasionally brilliant. August is busy and expensive. But June is consistently the best month to be on these courses. Here is why.

The Conditions

By June the fairways have dried out from spring. The ball runs. Links golf on firm ground is a completely different game to links golf on wet February turf. On Royal Birkdale, Hillside, and Southport and Ainsdale, the June firmness means you can use the ground: bump and run onto greens, let driver runs through the fairway, play angles off the fescue banks that simply are not available when it is soft.

The greens are at their most consistent. The winter scarification has grown out, the summer stimp speeds have arrived, and the greenkeeping teams have the surfaces in shape. Hillside in particular putts beautifully in June.

The Light

Sunset at the end of May is around 9.30pm. By late June it is past 10pm. A 4pm tee time at any of the Sefton courses gives you a round in full daylight with no rushing. After a 7am start you could play 36 holes and be back in Southport for dinner. I have done it at Hillside and Birkdale. I recommend both.

The quality of light on the Sefton Coast in late afternoon in June is something else. Low sun across the dunes, long shadows on the fairways. If you are going to take any course photographs, this is the time to do it.

The Booking Situation

Royal Birkdale is not straightforward for visitor bookings at the best of times. The Open at Birkdale has made 2026 even harder. But Hillside, Southport and Ainsdale, Formby, and West Lancashire are all bookable as a visitor in June, and all four are outstanding golf courses.

My recommendation: Hillside for the first round, S&A for the second. West Lancashire if you want something slightly different in character. Formby if you want the classic club experience with a proper lunch.

Green Fees in June

June sits between the spring and summer pricing bands at most clubs. It is not the cheapest month, but it is better value than July and August when demand spikes around The Open. Booking two to three weeks ahead is usually sufficient for most courses, except Royal Birkdale where the visitor diary fills months out.

• →Hillside Golf Club: visitor rounds available, book directly with the club
• →Southport and Ainsdale: excellent visitor facilities, links course with Ryder Cup history
• →Formby Golf Club: traditional members club, visitor rounds on certain days
• →West Lancashire Golf Club: underrated, elemental links close to the coast

Practical Notes for a June Trip

• →Layers. June on the coast can turn quickly. Start with less and add.
• →Sunscreen. The sea reflection and long hours mean you burn faster than you expect.
• →Soft spikes preferred at most clubs: check before you book.
• →Accommodation in Southport or Birkdale village for central access to all courses.
• →Book dinner in advance. Birkdale village restaurants fill on summer evenings.