Formby Golf Club Key Information
More than perhaps any other course in the Top 100, Formby is a hybrid of two highly desirable and enjoyable styles. This heathland and linksy combination makes it one of the most interesting and memorable courses in the Top 100, as well as one of the most talked about. This is a great place to stay and play with everything you could want either on site or very close by.
Reasons To Play Formby
– Experience two great course types in one - links and heathland - kept in fine order
– A historic links that continues to evolve and improve
– Enjoy the cosy dormy house… and play Formby Ladies!
Rankings
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2023/24 - 42
Perhaps at Formby Golf Club more than at any other links course in the Top 100, the presence of mature pines and vast swathes of heather allows this to become the best of two worlds.
The club has been looking very carefully to the future for many years, as coastal erosion has been and remains a concern.
The result has been several substantial and very positive changes with more carefully in place for as and when required. These will safeguard the future of this very beautiful and varied links.
The club dates back to 1884 and is one of the very best golf courses in Lancashire. The original layout was redesigned by Willie Park Junior at the start of the 20th century.
A plan showing the layout in 1912 hangs in the very attractive and historic clubhouse which itself has moved with the times. There are other exhibits that show various alterations by the likes of James Braid, Hawtree & Taylor, and by Donald Steel.
The course certainly doesn't lack length, and there are plenty of very strong par 4s as well as fast-running fairways, deep bunkers and firm and true greens. Just a few sandhills away from the beach, there is usually a breeze and often substantially more.
As well as length, accuracy from the tee is a key requirement. Heading off line will often call for a brave recovery from one of the deep bunkers, a strategic safety-first sideways chip from the trees, or more painfully, an ungainly hack from the heather. A strong short-game from just off the green can really make your score here.
This is one of the best golf courses in England and is kept in fine condition all year round. It was host to the Legends Tour in both 2021 and 2022. It runs in an anti-clockwise direction around the outside of the lovely and very enjoyable Formby Ladies course where a game is also very much recommended.
Visitors, especially those staying in the excellent Dormy House accommodation, will very much enjoy both.
What The Top 100 Panel Said
Some lovely views from start to finish, my favourite being from the 9th tee with the sea visible in the distance. A few gradual changes in elevation generally to raised greens albeit, the course itself is easy to walk. I had waited many years to get to Formby and it met all of my expectations.
A really good golf course which gets better the further away you get from the clubhouse!
A pleasurable experience and one I walked away from thinking, ‘I’d like to be a member here’. Has a true authentic feel offering pretty much everything a club golfer needs and wants. A beguiling links with heathland homages that offers a unique experience.
I love Formby for the middle stretch of holes encapsulating all that is brilliant about this location. A classy and unique links offering history, fine conditioning and some of the best seaside holes in the North West.
Formby Golf Club Location
Formby Golf Club Green Fees
Formby Golf Club Scorecard
Best Courses Near Formby Golf Club
Best Places To Stay Near Formby
Formby Golf Club - Book now directly with the club
There is nowhere better to stay than the club's own dormy house - enjoy golf here and at Formby Ladies!
Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa - Book now via Booking.com
This hotel, spa and championship golf resort is just a few minutes drive and has 76 bedrooms and suites, a full-service restaurant, luxurious spa, and heated swimming pool. There is also a fitness and leisure club.
Dukes Folly Hotel - Book now via Booking.com
Situated in the heart of Southport, the stylish Dukes Folly Hotel has 20 bedrooms, each with TV and tea and coffee making facilities, along with an en-suite shower room. There is a modern lounge bar, and an excellent breakfast is served until 10:00.
Formby Golf Club Gallery
Historical Top 100 Rankings UK&I
- 2023/24 - 42
- 2021/22 - 41
- 2019/20 - 41
- 2017/18 - 39
- 2015/16 - 37
- 2013/14 - 38
- 2011/12 - 41
- 2009/10 - 41
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of course is Formby?
A difficult question to answer as there are parts that are unquestionably heathland and parts that are unquestionably links. The best answer is to say that it’s an indefinable mix of the best of both worlds.
Are Formby and Formby Ladies really the same club?
They are not, although as you would expect, there are many members of one whose partner is a member of the other. Each club actually has its own clubhouse, catering and greenstaff.
Has Formby hosted any professional events?
The club has been the venue for many important amateur and professional championships over the years, most recently the 2022 Staysure PGA Seniors Championship.
