Media Day Experience

Despite being the oldest club in the area, what stood out throughout the day was just how forward-thinking Hesketh is. The decision to host a media day felt both refreshing and progressive, an acknowledgment of how the game is evolving, and how clubs can embrace new ways of telling their story.

There was a clear sense of momentum around the club. The recently appointed Head Greenkeeper, Chris, was mentioned frequently, and while only six months into his role, there was a consistent message from those who know the course best, that Hesketh is in as strong a position as it has been for many years.

This was reinforced by recent events. The media day took place just days after the club’s latest staging of The Open Regional Qualifying, part of an impressive four-year run hosting the event, further evidence of the course’s championship credentials and conditioning. Those I spoke to who had attended qualifying echoed the same sentiment: Hesketh had presented superbly.

For me personally, the day highlighted something that goes beyond course rankings alone. While Top 100 rightly focuses on the golf course itself, the overall experience always plays a part, how a place makes you feel, the welcome you receive, and the atmosphere that stays with you long after you leave.

Hesketh excelled in this regard. From the quality of the food and hospitality to the warm, genuine conversations with staff and members, everything was delivered with a sense of pride and care. It never felt forced, just a club comfortable in what it offers and eager to share it.

One of the most memorable aspects of the day, however, came from the company I kept on the course. I had the privilege of playing alongside Mel and Eddie, a grandfather and grandson whose combined connection to Hesketh spans nearly 30 years. Mel, a past captain during the Covid years and now the club’s Membership and Marketing Director, represents both the heritage and the future direction of the club. Alongside him was Eddie, just five years into his golfing journey, already full of ambition with aspirations of taking his game to America.

Sharing a round with two generations of the same family at Hesketh felt particularly fitting. It captured something deeper about the club, its ability to honour its past while continuing to evolve. In many ways, that pairing summed up the spirit of the day perfectly: tradition, ambition, and a genuine passion for the game, all coexisting in the same place.

The Golf Course

As we made the short walk from the clubhouse to the 1st tee, your eyes are naturally drawn out across the land ahead. There’s an immediate sense of scale, rolling dunes, wispy fescue rough, and fairways that gently weave their way through the terrain. It’s an inviting but quietly dramatic opening, the kind that sets the tone without overwhelming.

The opening two holes occupy this striking piece of land before the routing takes you across the road, not returning until the 14th. The 1st is a superb introduction, generous from the tee with a wide landing area, encouraging a confident start, before revealing a green beautifully framed by the surrounding dune banks. It’s fair, welcoming, but still demands thought for the approach.

The 2nd, however, quickly raises the stakes. A visually stunning par 3, played to a plateau green that sits proudly above its surroundings. It’s a hole that grabs your attention immediately, miss the surface and recovery becomes anything but straightforward, with steep run-offs feeding into thick fescue. It’s a wonderful early test and one that lingers in the memory.

Crossing the road, the course transitions onto less dramatic ground, yet this middle section is well routed and demands your full attention. Holes 3 through 8 trace the outer perimeter of the property, forming a testing and engaging stretch that steadily builds the round.

The 3rd asks for two solid strikes to find a well-guarded green, setting the tone for the holes that follow. The 4th, another fine par 3, showcases Hesketh’s strength in short holes, well protected, visually appealing, and demanding precision.

The run from 5 through 7 is particularly engaging. The 5th brings water into play along the left, subtly influencing both the tee shot and approach, while the 6th, the stroke index one, stands out as a highlight of this section. It’s a hole that sits clearly in front of you, framed beautifully, yet asks a demanding question. Bunkers, a boundary hugging the left, and the natural shape of the hole all favour a controlled fade, rewarding those who commit to the right line.

The 7th continues the challenge before a really enjoyable 8th closes out this perimeter stretch. There’s space from the tee, inviting a positive drive, but the hole tightens as you approach a cleverly protected green, where run-offs and bunkering combine to demand a well-executed approach. It’s a hole that balances opportunity with subtle danger, a theme that runs throughout Hesketh.

At this point, it feels right to pause on one of Hesketh’s defining features, the green complexes. They are undoubtedly a hallmark of the course and a key reason for its success as a Regional Open Qualifying venue. Generous in size yet intricately contoured, they offer a wonderful mix of slopes, hollows, and run-offs. Some of the breaks are wonderfully bold, encouraging creativity and imagination around the greens.

It’s the kind of place where you could happily spend hours with a handful of balls and a wedge, exploring different approaches and shot types. They reward thoughtful play and remain engaging long after your round is complete, a real strength of the course.

The routing then moves into an inward loop from holes 9 through 13, playing within the outer perimeter. Here, the landscape feels slightly more enclosed, with trees playing a greater role, though thoughtful clearance work has ensured the course still breathes and retains its openness.

There’s a real sense of momentum at this point, with the round continuing to build. The 12th is a personal favourite of this stretch, home to a good green complex that sits beautifully within the natural landscape. Expansive, full of subtle movement, and offering a wide range of pin positions, it’s a hole that will continue to challenge no matter how often you play it.

The 13th adds a touch of quirk and character, a par 5 that sweeps left, well framed from the tee and asking you to shape your way through it. It’s a fitting lead-in to the final stretch, and as you pass the halfway house for the last time, there’s a growing sense of anticipation as the course returns to its most dramatic ground.

For me, the closing stretch from 14 through 18 is where Hesketh truly comes alive.

The 14th is likely to be a favourite for many, a striking hole dominated by a central dune, punctuated with bunkers, demanding both thought and execution. The 15th follows with a blind tee shot over another dune, the distant church tower providing a memorable and distinctly local backdrop.

Then comes the 16th, widely regarded as one of the finest short holes in the region. Often played into the prevailing wind, it requires a committed strike, anything from a long iron to a hybrid or even a wood, towards a brilliantly defended green. With trouble lurking and the ever-present risk of drifting right, it’s a hole where par feels like a real achievement.

The 17th offers a different kind of appeal, doglegging left around trees before revealing the green, a hole that unfolds as you play it. And finally, the 18th provides a strong and fitting conclusion. Driving through an avenue of trees and dunes into a generous landing area, you’re then faced with a decision, whether to attack the narrow, well-guarded green in two or lay up and rely on your wedge play. It’s a hole that asks a question right to the very end.

Reflecting on the round, there’s a natural tendency to highlight the standout holes, particularly 1, 2, and the closing stretch from 14 through 18. They are undeniably memorable and leave a lasting impression.

For some, it could be argued that those standout holes sit apart from the rest, but I found they work as part of a much broader narrative. The round has a natural sense of progression to it, gradually building and drawing you back toward the more dramatic land around the clubhouse. That return feels intentional, almost like the course is guiding you toward its most striking moments. It’s that journey, and the anticipation it creates, that gives Hesketh much of its charm and makes the round feel so complete.

Personally, I found it helpful to view Hesketh as four distinct phases. The opening 1st and 2nd, dramatic and engaging, set the tone. The perimeter stretch from 3 to 8 builds rhythm and challenge. The inward loop from 9 to 13 adds nuance and subtlety. And finally, the closing run from 14 to 18 delivers a memorable and visually striking finish.

It’s this sense of progression and variety that gives Hesketh its unique character. Each section brings something slightly different, yet they come together to form a round that feels complete, and really enjoyable.

Conclusion

What stayed with me most after my visit to Hesketh was how the experience unfolds It’s a course that reveals itself in stages, each phase building your understanding and appreciation of what’s in front of you. I can imagine that the more you play it, the more you begin to appreciate the four distinct phases and how each contributes to the overall rhythm of the round.

From the striking opening pair, through the steady examination of the perimeter holes, into the measured nuances of the inward loop, and finally the standout closing stretch, there’s a real sense of journey. That contrast between sections is not only what makes Hesketh distinctive, but likely a big part of why it holds such affection among its members. It offers variety without losing cohesion, and interest that builds the more familiar you become with it.

Beyond the golf, the people and the passion behind the club leave just as strong an impression. The media day captured that perfectly, a club proud of its history, yet equally focused on moving forward. Whether through the evident care in course conditioning, the ambition behind its recent Open Qualifying run, or the willingness to embrace new and innovative ways of showcasing the club, there’s a quiet confidence about Hesketh and where it’s heading.

And ultimately, this is a golf course that tests you in a very honest way. It asks for control, imagination, and good decision-making from start to finish. There’s a feeling that if you can play well at Hesketh, if you can handle the wind, navigate the green sites, and adapt to the variety it presents, you’d be well equipped to play good golf just about anywhere.

To visit Hesketh is to experience a course that sits right at the origins of golf in Southport, yet continues to evolve with purpose. It’s that blend of heritage and forward momentum that gives the club its enduring appeal.