Ormskirk

Ormskirk golf Club was formed in 1899, with a 9-hole course laid out in an area of Lathom Park, which was originally part of a royal deer park, with excellent turf that had never been ploughed. Lord Lathom officially opened the new layout and it proved to be such a success that a second nine holes were added in 1903.

The man chosen to design the extended 18-hole course was Harold Hilton, one of the finest amateurs to ever play the game. He’d already won both The Open twice (in 1892 and 1897) and The Amateur twice (in 1900 and 1901) and he already had experience of laying out at least one course (at North Wales Golf Club) before tackling Ormskirk.

The course has been upgraded on several occasions since its formation, most notably by Alister MacKenzie’s younger brother Charles in 1937.

Today, the layout extends to 6,533 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 70, with only one par five on each nine. Feature holes include the 187-yard 4th (the only par three on the outward half), the 411-yard 15th in the southwest corner of the property (rated stroke index 2), and the slight right doglegging 426-yard 18th, which rises gently up to the home green.