About West Lancashire Golf Club
West Lancashire Golf Club, founded in 1873, stands among the ten oldest clubs in England and is the oldest golfing venue in Lancashire. Members of Royal Liverpool founded the club “anxious to expand the Scottish national game by bringing it across the River Mersey.”
Design Heritage
The legendary James Braid conducted a substantial redesign in 1921, with C.K. Cotton creating today’s layout in 1961. Since 1976, West Lancashire has hosted Final Qualifying for The Open when played at Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale, and Royal Lytham, continuing through 2026.
The Course
The championship course meanders along 200 acres of natural undulating land following the Crosby coastline. At 6,768 yards (par 72), West Lancashire offers long running fairways characteristic of traditional links, tight strategic bunkering, and challenging approaches to well-protected greens—all tested by the ever-present coastal wind.
Course Gallery
Home of Championship Golf
West Lancashire Golf Club has forged an enduring partnership with The R&A, golf's governing body, establishing itself as one of the most trusted championship venues in the Northwest. This relationship spans decades and encompasses the game's most prestigious amateur competitions, cementing the club's reputation among the elite courses of England's Golf Coast.
The club's association with Open Championship qualifying dates back to 1976, when West Lancashire first hosted Final Qualifying. Since then, the course has served as a crucial gateway to golf's oldest major whenever The Open visits Royal Liverpool, Royal Birkdale, or Royal Lytham & St Annes. The demanding links examination ensures that only the most deserving players earn their place in the championship proper. West Lancashire continues this proud tradition through 2026, with the world's finest players testing themselves on these historic fairways.
Beyond Open Qualifying, West Lancashire has welcomed The Amateur Championship, one of golf's most storied competitions dating back to 1885. The Amateur has launched the careers of countless legendary players, and hosting this prestigious event places West Lancashire among an exclusive group of championship-calibre venues. The club has also staged the Brabazon Trophy, England Golf's premier stroke play championship for elite amateurs.
The R&A's continued selection of West Lancashire reflects the organisation's confidence in the club's ability to present a fair but formidable test of championship golf. From the quality of course conditioning to the warmth of its welcome, West Lancashire exemplifies the standards expected of venues entrusted with golf's most important competitions. This partnership honours the club's founding vision of spreading "the Scottish national game" while writing new chapters in its distinguished history.