Hastings Rd, Hillside,
nr Southport, Lancashire PR8 2LU
Office
+44 (0)1704 567 169Pro shop
+44 (0)1704 568 360Fax
+44 (0)1704 563 192Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Matthew Duncan (Club Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Rural countryside.
Designer:
Fred Hawtree designed the current layout which dates from the 1960's.
53.620367
-3.027747
17 miles N of Liverpool
From the centre of Southport, head south on the A565 direction Liverpool. After 1.9 mi (100 yds after Royal Birkdale entrance) turn right into Hastings Rd at Hillside GC sign. After 400 yds golf is on your left.
Hillside
Hillside Golf Club: There is no doubting the pedigree and popularity of Hillside, nor the calibre of the company it keeps. It is bounded by Royal Birkdale to the north, and Southport & Ainsdale to the east (across a small railway line). Amongst this wonderful triumvirate of seaside links courses, Hillside can boast the tallest and most impressive sand dunes, especially on its fabulous back-nine.
Laid out in two out-and-back loops, the front-nine occupies flatter terrain, and is located further inland than the more memorable second-nine. It's on Hillside's back-nine that you'll encounter a wonderfully dramatic stretch of holes that weave their way through towering sand dunes. Most celebrated of all are the par-5 11th and 17th holes, which run side-by-side (in opposite directions) through a valley bounded by large sandhills.
Hillside is characterised by rugged links golf at its best. In the middle section of the back-nine you come closest to the sea, with the higher elevations offering occasional glimpses of the Irish Sea. You may be disappointed that the layout stays several hundred yards back from the shoreline, but such is the case with all the top links layouts on the Lancashire coast. When the courses were originally created, some degree of protection from the wind was considered a higher golfing priority than spending time admiring sea views.
Always maintained in top condition, Hillside provides an excellent golfing challenge in a wonderfully dramatic duneland setting, most especially on the layout's much acclaimed back-nine loop.
Visitors welcome on weekdays, Saturdays (after 3:30pm) and Sundays (after 12 noon). No visitors on Bank Holidays.
Must book in advance. Handicap required
Contact club for full details, discounts, day tickets, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Players generally walk this course. Golf carts available for hire (if pre-booked).
Limited
A stunning five-mile stretch of duneland on the Lancashire coast is book-ended by the seaside towns of Southport and Formby. At the northern end of this stretch of sand hills, and closest to Southport, you'll find three of England's top-rated links courses sitting cheek-by-jowl. The proximity of this formidable triumvirate, comprising Royal Birkdale, Hillside and Southport & Ainsdale, can be clearly seen on a satellite view map.
Royal Birkdale lies closest to Southport. A small pathway separates this revered Open Championship venue from Hillside, which adjoins it to the south. Across the railway track to the south and east of Hillside, lies Southport & Ainsdale. If this trio doesn't satisfy your links golf appetite, the also excellent courses of Formby and West Lancs lie just a few miles further south.
Hillside, like its revered neighbours, has hosted many top level tournaments. In 1982 Tony Jacklin won the Sun Alliance (now BMW) PGA Championship here, beating Bernhard Langer in a playoff to claim his last European Tour title. For more details see Top Golf Tournaments at Hillside Golf Club.
England's 27th best course (Golf World, 2023).
Britain & Ireland's 66th best course (Golf World, 2024).
98 Lord Street, Southport PR8 1JR
+44 (0)1704 883 800
Visit websiteLocated on Lord Street, Southport’s main boulevard and opening in 2008, The Vincent Hotel is a contemporary boutique hotel. 60 guest rooms, suites and a penthouse occupy the six floors in this award winning design. The hotel's facilities include a Cafe & Sushi Bar, Spa, gym and Galleria Suites for weddings & corporate events.
No
Hesketh; Royal Birkdale; Hillside
Southport & Ainsdale; Formby; Formby Hall; West Lancashire
The Promenade, Southport, Merseyside PR8 1RB
+44 (0)1704 533 771
Visit websiteThe Best Western Royal Clifton Hotel & Spa is noted for its excellent range of facilities and standards of service. Over recent years the hotel has been refurbished to offer guests the comfort expected from one of the best located hotels in Southport.
No
Hesketh; Royal Birkdale; Hillside
Southport & Ainsdale; Formby; Formby Hall; West Lancashire
124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.
79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).
Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.
Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.