St Annes Old Links
Lytham Saint Annes, England
- AddressThe Clubhouse, Highbury Rd E, Lytham Saint Annes FY8 2LD, UK
- Championships hosted
The Fylde Coast is famous for its golden sandy beaches, promenades, piers and of course its famous tower, which dominates the skyline. Blackpool Tower – a half size copy of the Eiffel Tower – was completed way back in 1894, but golf at St Annes Old Links Golf Club was first played years before the tower had even reached the drawing board.
Running parallel with each other, the 10th and 18th holes at St Annes Old Links are all that now remains of the original Lytham and St Annes Golf Club. The spread of late Victorian home building forced the Lytham and St Annes club to relocate to the southern side of the bustling seaside town, now the esteemed home of the Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club. But, with great foresight, a number of keen golfers came together in 1901 to re-establish a course on the vacant site. George Lowe, the club’s first professional, laid out the original nine holes and, nine years later, Sandy Herd extended the course to eighteen holes.
St Annes Old Links is a challenging layout and it has been used for numerous championships, including Open Qualifying in conjunction with Royal Lytham & St Annes. The course is flat, windswept and stark where little other than a few twisted trees survive the fierce westerly winds. This pure links course is a certainly a challenge and the best holes are to be found on the southern edge, nearest the clubhouse.
The 9th is the most famous hole at St Annes Old Links with its long green, which is hardly visible from the tee. According to reports, Bobby Jones took detailed measurements of this hole, called “Cannon”, when playing here during the 1926 Open. Perhaps a similar hole is in play somewhere in America?
There are three links courses in and around Lytham St Annes. Royal Lytham and St Annes needs no introduction, but if you include St Annes Old Links alongside Fairhaven and its Royal neighbour, then you will have played them all.
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George Lowe was born in the rural parish of Carmyllie and he moved with his family when he was eight years old to Carnoustie, where he quickly fell in love with the game of golf through caddying.
