Wallasey - Cheshire - England

I played this historic links on July 12 on a breezy but sunny evening. I paid GBP 45.00 (half-price) using the online booking system on the website and the course more than justifies this price. Living relatively close by I had been keep to follow in the footsteps of Stableford for a while. On arrival a group of members were waiting on the 1st tee and cheerily beckoned me to tee off as I was playing hans solo. Without a warmup I managed to get a good drive away and tried my best to come up with a witty riposte as they joked that I better not slow them down! After stiffing my pitch I could relax on the 2nd tee and then ‘enjoy the walk’. Whilst being shorter than its Royal neighbor I found Wallasey trickier and ultimately more fun. The course reveals itself on the 4th tee and what a fantastic hole awaits matched by the 17th coming back in the opposite direction. The par 3s are fantastic with elevation changes and not overly long (apart from 16 which played into its teeth) and personally I prefer this. Holes 6,7,13 and 14 are in the flatter land away from the sea and whilst not as exciting as the others, I scored very well here being -2 for the four holes. The respite from elevation changes and mentally taxing shots was temporarily welcomed. However, every great course has a strong finish and 15-18 are just that. I saw a friendly fox on the 18th tee which improved what is an already fantastic view. The green overlooked by the old clubhouse and golfers supping on the patio makes for a fitting end to a fantastic golfing experience. The course was in good, not fantastic condition but playing here is all about the true links experience. My new favorite course in Cheshire.

I’d had Wallasey on my hit list for a long time so it was a real shame that the weather didn’t co-operate when I finally got round to playing here last week because it rained rather heavily during my round. Nevertheless, as my previous excursion to play on the Wirral at Royal Liverpool had been somewhat underwhelming, I’m glad to report my latest visit to the area was a far more satisfying, if slightly soggier, experience.

There’s a lot of good golf going on out there amongst the sand hills, particularly on the stronger back nine. I wasn’t overly impressed with holes 6&7 and the back-to-back par fives at 13&14, as they’re set in the flatter part of the property, but there appears to be work going on in that area to improve the visual aesthetics, with shaggy mounding and new gorse plantings framing the fairways. In time, the new vegetation will look easier on the eye, allowing the holes to blend into the landscape more easily.

The sequence from 10 to 12 is really quite exhilarating, as fairways fight the contours in amongst the dunes, and this exciting topography is revisited over three of the last four holes at 15, 16 and 18. The par four 11th is probably my favourite hole, though, where the drive plunges down off the tee, followed by an uphill approach to a raised green. I also like having the home green situated right in front of the clubhouse, where all home greens should be sited!

A brief word of thanks is owed to Manager John Mort, who gave me a good look around the magnificent old clubhouse, offering a proper explanation of the club’s Frank Stableford and Bobby Jones connections. Thanks also to Mike Adams in the pro shop, who glued my playing partner’s disintegrating golf shoe after nine holes, allowing said piece of footwear to be used for 54-holes of golf over the following two days!

Hats off to the staff at Wallasey and I know where I’ll be playing again if I find myself in this neck of the woods. Jim McCann

Was really surprised by this course. Played it as the second last course on my recent trip to watch The Open and play some links courses.The opening and closing holes are worth the trip alone, and it has an outstanding collection of par 3s. Thoroughly enjoyable without being too hard, it makes a great members course that can be tricked up for the pros. Well worth the visit and a lot cheaper than more famous but nowhere near as good courses

Hmm. Played it in the week of the Open and we were really looking forward to what was billed as a great course. It was a good course but playing very very tough and the course management on the day was poor by officials. The rough had clearly been grown up for the Open week in order to show what a tough track it could be and that led to a less enjoyable experience than it should have been and a ridiculously long round due to every group on the course spending so long looking for balls. After the relatively gentle first hole the next two were daunting and hard. Blind tee shots to narrow fairways and balls were gobbled up in the rough. By the time you got over the hill to see wider fairways spirits were low and ball supplies lower. I can safely say I found it the most penal links course I have played, and I've played all of the Open rota but Troon. The greens were in great condition and it got more playable as the round went on but it was just not as enjoyable as it should have been. It took everyone over 5 hours to play a round by mid-morning tee offs and that was just too long. Shame really but the penal nature of the course stopped it being much fun.

A beauty of a links course. Played here with my best friend last summer on a trip to Liverpool.Charming club house, especially when viewed from the approach up the 18th coming into the green. Nice welcome in the pro shop with a few tips for a few holes.Some classic holes, punishing rough & undulating fairways. The first par-5 on the course gives you a fantastic view out across the water tempting you to let your concentration waiver as you wind up for a long drive. Wind & firm greens make you create shots at Wallasey & like most fine links course accurately off the tee is the difference between enjoying Wallasey & leaving feeling beat-up. If you are feeling a little off with the ‘Big Dog’ when you visit I suggest leaving it in the bag in favour of a club you know you can hit the fairway with. Anyone who has stood on the tee box on the 3rd hole in strong wind will know what I mean. All in all a must visit if in the area & more than holds its own with some of its more famous neighbours.

A visit to Wallasey is a fantastic golf experience from start to finish. Do allow plenty of time in the clubhouse to get to know the history of the club with particular emphasis on Dr. Frank Stableford and the great Bobby Jones. In fact the portrait of Jones from 1930 is the only one that he ever signed and it hangs majestically in the clubhouse. The course opens with a not too difficult par-4 but as early as the 2nd hole, a 450 yard par-4 is the challenge, this dog-legs to the right after approx 300 yards and there will be more 6’s than 4’s on this hole (and maybe that is why that Dr. Frank’s scoring system was devised on this hole?). The tee shot on the 4th hole is a nice camera moment and is reminiscent of the same shot on the 5th at Sheringham on England’s Norfolk coast – an elevated tee with a wide open fairway with the sea in view on the right. The first par-3 plays over some dead ground and although only 170 yards can play either a short iron or as much as a driver (the wind off of the Mersey being the key factor). The approach to the par-4 8th hole through dunes left and right is really nice but do not go long - anything beyond the green will leave a tough chip. The very next hole is the shortest on the course and take time to read the plaque on the tee in memory of the great Bobby Jones. The 15th is a particular favourite of mine, proving that a par-4 at only 350 yards can cause plenty of problems; the tee shot needs to be right of three bunkers on the elbow of the dog-leg, which leaves an uphill approach to a bunker-less green with fantastic run-offs. Many of my previous course reviews include my thoughts that all courses have an obligation to deliver a great 17th hole – Wallasey does just that; the best hole on the course bar none – a 450 yard par-4 that turns right through the dunes at 330 yards and just like the 2nd hole, there will be many more double-bogeys than pars here and as a hole comparison, not unlike the 16th at Enniscrone, Ireland (although that is a par-5). The last hole is a delight to play; a par-4 with a snake-like fairway and a semi-blind approach (depending on tee length obviously) to the green just below the clubhouse terrace. A couple of closing thoughts, the 18th green and terrace are very very close to each other, which I quite like and made me ask the question, what course has the closest 18th green and clubhouse? Kings Lynn in Norfolk must be in the running and would love to hear of other contenders. My very last thought was how does Wallasey shape up and compare with nearby Royal Liverpool? I can understand that the latter is on the Open rota and overall probably correct in being above Wallasey in the rankings but I have a feeling that there is just a little more fun to be had at Wallasey, let the debate begin or even continue…

Five years after our previous visit a group of us arrived at Wallasey last week to be greeted by a biting easterly wind and fast running fairways. We were all looking forward to the challenge of their excellent greens but were blown away by the early season pace and true roll. We get to play some great courses during the year but the putting surfaces here were as good as anything we had seen for quite some time.There are many great classic links holes at Wallasey and the short ones are particularly good. My favourites would be the 12th and 16th which are both attractive and extremely well defended. The par five 4th has great views as you hit from a raised tee with the Mersey Estuary running all the way down the right side and the Welsh mountains as a backdrop. Of the par 4’s I particularly like 3, 11, 15, 17 and 18. These holes are all amongst the dunes on the most undulating part of the course and have great character. The finishing quartet are as good anything you will find offering variety and wonderful changes in elevation. Some might say that the flatter holes on the far side of the course (6, 7, 13 and 14) are not quite as good as the rest, but all in all this is an absolute delight.Brian W

With golf courses, beauty is often in the eyes of the beholder, but no matter how you slice it this place is a supermodel. One of my all time favorites on either side of the pond. Its setting among the dunes the beach and the sea make it an extraordinary place- it is also a great test of golf. That Wallasey is not ranked among the very best in England and Britain is beyond me.

Wallasey is a real gem and it’s hard to see why its ranking is not higher, although I think it’s 5 out of 6 rating is about right. The first thing to say is that there is no surprise that the Stableford format of the game was invented here... it’s a really tough links with lots of variety in the shotmaking. Having played off the back tees in scratch matches there, the driving can be very daunting. Some of the drives are blind or to very narrow fairways, for example the 3rd fairway is barely a few paces wide in places. Also the 11th is an exceptional driving hole with one of the most difficult 2nd shots I’ve ever come across. Elevation is used to great effect all around the course and the 12th stands out as a great par 3 hitting out of a dune down onto a heavily bunkered green. I would also say that the 18th is a really good closing hole, especially when a match is close. It’s possible to add a great deal to your drive if you aim for some hard rolling parts of the fairway, which could be just the thing you need to help put the pressure on an opponent.

On the whole, I love playing Wallasey and I think there are many great holes, there are also a few weaker holes once you are out of the dunes, some of them have undergone some changes recently that I don’t necessarily think have 100% been successful, but often time makes a big different to links land. As for the question of whether it is better than Royal Liverpool, I think that is a question you have to answer for yourself, I suspect some people will prefer the greater use of dunes and the quirkier holes that come from naturally undulating terrain, however, I think it’s fair to say that Hoylake is in overall better condition and probably fairer, in that good shots are rewarded and bad shots penalised. Also I think the recent changes to Hoylake under the watchful eye of the R&A have been very well executed in a way that a club with the resources of Wallasey may not have been able to achieve. Pricewise, Wallasey is great value for money against any comparison. Overall the only answer is to organise a trip to the Wirral that allows time to play both courses and judge for yourself.

Better than its famous neighbor Hoylake.