West Lancashire Golf Club in September: Conditions and What to Expect

West Lancashire Golf Club at Blundellsands is the most underplayed course on the Sefton Coast. Most visitors to the area book Hillside, Southport and Ainsdale, and if they are lucky, Royal Birkdale. West Lancs sits six miles south of Birkdale and consistently gets overlooked. In September, that oversight is an opportunity.

The Course in September

West Lancashire plays differently in September from any other month. The summer fairways, which ran firm and fast through July and August, retain some pace in early September before the autumn rainfall begins to soften things. The rough, which was at its most punishing in June and July, has started to settle. The greens have recovered their pace from the peak season traffic.

The exposure is the thing. West Lancs sits directly on the coast at Blundellsands with no shelter from the Irish Sea on the western holes. The prevailing south-westerly of summer is giving way to more variable autumn winds. A north-westerly at West Lancs in September turns the course into something very different from the layout on the card. The distances become meaningless. Shot-making matters.

This is the point. West Lancashire in September rewards golfers who can play the links game. It does not reward golfers who play it like a parkland course with different grass. If you want to test your links skills before the winter closes in, this is the right place in the right month.

Visitor Access in September

West Lancashire Golf Club welcomes visitors on most weekdays. The club is less restrictive than Hillside or Birkdale on visitor days, and the booking process is more straightforward. Contact the pro shop directly. September availability is noticeably better than the peak summer months. Weekday mornings are the reliable option.

A handicap certificate is required. Green fees at West Lancs sit below Hillside and well below Birkdale, which is part of what makes it an underrated Sefton Coast day. The quality-to-price ratio in September is the best on the coast.

Getting There

West Lancashire Golf Club is at Hall Road, Blundellsands, Merseyside. The nearest Merseyrail station is Hall Road on the Northern Line, about 10 minutes walk from the clubhouse. If you are doing a multi-day Sefton Coast trip based in Southport, West Lancs is a 25-minute drive south. It makes a natural addition to a Sefton circuit without requiring a separate accommodation base.

The Course Itself

West Lancashire is a pure links. No shelter from the dunes. The routing takes you directly into and along the coast on the western holes. The bunkering is strategic rather than decorative. There is no water and almost no rough that a competent player cannot manage. The difficulty comes entirely from the wind and the quality of ball-striking required to hold these greens from distance in a crosswind.

The back nine at West Lancs turns into the wind on several holes. In a genuine September north-westerly, the holes that play directly west require two or three extra clubs and a low, penetrating flight. This is exactly what links golf is supposed to demand.

After the Round

Crosby village is five minutes from the club and has reasonable dining options for a post-round lunch. Crosby Beach, with Antony Gormley's Another Place iron men, is a 10-minute walk from the club and worth seeing if you have not been.