Pleasington Golf Club

When Pleasington Golf Club was formed in 1891, Blackburn was the weaving capital of the world where cotton was king. The rural village of Pleasington is located on the outskirts of the East Lancashire mill town and the course itself is set in a delightful rolling landscape with magnificent country views from the high ground.

Originally, a simple nine-hole course was laid out by George Lowe, the professional from Royal Lytham and St Annes and, in 1909, Sandy Herd extended the layout to 18 holes. As with many courses established in this era, many subsequent changes have taken place. Notably lengthening – but the outline of Herd’s original design remains.

James Braid was engaged in 1925 to advise on course alterations and these were implemented shortly after, resulting in three new holes (11-13), the merging of two holes (13 and 14), and the removal of the old 5th hole. The revised layout was ready to play for the Northern PGA championship in September 1929.

Today’s course measures 6,562 yards from the back tees and it’s a layout that tested many of the region’s best golfers when Pleasington was used for Open Championship Regional Qualifying in 2005. It’s fitting that a local man, Michael Hunt, came through qualification with an outstanding score of 65, a round that included an incredible nine birdies.

The course itself is a varied mix of heathland cum parkland cum moorland and it keeps you entertained all the way round. Some of the best holes appear at the turn where the landscape takes on a rugged and rather dramatic nature.

It’s understandable that the majority of travelling golfers head in their droves for the Lancashire links courses. But, if you are thinking of stopping off on the way to the seaside, a visit to Pleasington will be very pleasant and exceedingly pleasurable. It’s an experience that comes thoroughly recommended.

The club is currently working with Ken Moodie of Creative Golf Design. A 6-year plan is in place, which includes tree management and bunker renovation, with the long-term objective to return the course to its heathland origins.