Few regions in the world can match the breadth and calibre of golf on offer in North West England. Stretching from the Solway Coast of Cumbria in the north to the Wirral Peninsula in the south, and eastward across the Pennine foothills of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire, the North West packs an extraordinary concentration of world-class golf into a surprisingly compact area. This latest ranking update covers 61 courses across five counties — Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester — and for the first time, Merseyside and Greater Manchester are recognised as standalone ranking territories.
England's Golf Coast, the finest and most continuous stretch of links land in the country, anchors the region's global reputation. Running from Hoylake on the Wirral northward through Formby, Southport and Lytham St Annes, this corridor of seaside golf is home to three Royal Open Championship venues and a constellation of non-Royal courses that would be headliners in almost any other county. The North West's World Top 100 courses and its cluster of GB&I-ranked layouts all sit along this coast, reflecting the extraordinary concentration of quality that defines the region.
A note on historical comparisons: previous ranking cycles organised courses under traditional England Golf county boundaries, which differed from standard geographic counties. In particular, courses on the Wirral and in the Southport area were previously grouped within Cheshire and Lancashire, respectively, rather than Merseyside. The current rankings use geographic boundaries throughout, meaning direct comparisons with historical county positions should be treated with some caution. The regional picture is consistent; the county-by-county detail is where the methodology has evolved.
Merseyside earns its place at the top of the North West hierarchy with authority. The Southport coastline alone — home to Royal Birkdale, Hillside, West Lancashire, Southport & Ainsdale and Formby — constitutes one of the most concentrated stretches of links golf anywhere on the planet. Royal Liverpool, Wallasey and Formby Ladies extend the county's reach across the Wirral and
south towards Liverpool. This iteration of the rankings is the first to give Merseyside its own dedicated table, separating it from the Lancashire and Cheshire counties it was previously folded into under golf union boundaries, and the county justifies that recognition.
Royal Birkdale heads the Merseyside list and stands as the region's highest-ranked course. The 2026 Open Championship is scheduled to return to Birkdale, further reinforcing its status as England's foremost links venue. Royal Liverpool, Formby and Hillside complete a top four of exceptional calibre, while Wallasey and West Lancashire extend the county's strength deep into the rankings
Lancashire's ranking is anchored firmly on the coast. Royal Lytham & St Annes sits at the top of the county table and the top of the entire North West regional ranking, while St Annes Old Links and Fairhaven extend that Lytham belt further. Inland, Pleasington and Clitheroe represent the Lancashire moorland and parkland tradition, while Fleetwood and Ormskirk round out a coastal and near-coastal cluster of considerable depth.
Cheshire's ranking is led by a pair of outstanding inland designs. Delamere Forest, the Herbert Fowler-designed heathland layout celebrating over a century of golf, holds firm at county number one. Harry Colt's work at Prestbury sits close behind, while Sandiway completes a formidable top three. Wilmslow holds fourth, and Vale Royal Abbey moves up to fifth ahead of The Mere.
Cumbria's rankings are headed, as they have been since the county tables were first published, by Silloth on Solway — an unmistakable links that sits comfortably inside the GB&I Top 100. Silloth's remoteness on the Solway Coast is part of its mystique, and golfers who make the pilgrimage consistently rate it among the most rewarding experiences in British golf. Seascale holds second, another links course of genuine character on the west Cumbrian coast.
The most significant movements in the current Cumbria rankings belong to Appleby, which rises to third, and Windermere Golf Club, which climbs to fourth. Cockermouth makes the biggest upward move in the county, rising to seventh, while Furness also advances to eighth.
The decision to give Greater Manchester its own dedicated ranking for the first time. Manchester Golf Club tops the new table. Founded in 1882 and relocated to its current Hopwood site in 1912, the course was designed by Harry Colt across a sprawling 300-acre moorland property north of the city. Stockport sits second, with Reddish Vale, the Alister MacKenzie-designed layout in the Tame Valley, completing the top three.
Merseyside and Greater Manchester Come of Age
The most structurally significant development in this ranking cycle is the formal separation of Merseyside and Greater Manchester into their own county tables. Previously absorbed into the Lancashire and Cheshire catchments under golf union boundaries, both territories now stand on geographic footings. Merseyside alone places eight courses in the England Top 100 and two in the World rankings.
The Golden Age Architects Dominate
What is striking about the North West rankings, taken as a whole, is how thoroughly the Golden Age architects shaped the courses that sit at the top. Harry Colt left his mark at Prestbury, Manchester Golf Club, Sandiway and Wallasey. Alister MacKenzie designed or contributed to Reddish Vale, Bolton Old Links and Warrington. Herbert Fowler created Delamere Forest. James Braid contributed to Mere, Wilmslow, Childwall, Southport & Ainsdale and Cockermouth. The concentration of inter-war design genius represented across these five counties is exceptional, and it goes a long way to explaining why the North West remains one of the most rewarding golfing destinations in England.
Silloth Remains the North's Most Underrated Course
Silloth on Solway continues to occupy a unique position — emphatically recognised by panellists and reviewers as a world-class links, yet still consistently overlooked by the travelling golfing public simply because of its geography. Ranked comfortably inside the GB&I Top 100, it sits well ahead of many links courses that attract far greater footfall. The Solway Coast location is admittedly not on the way to anywhere, but golfers who commit to the journey almost invariably describe it as one of the great undiscovered experiences in British golf.
2015: County-by-County Foundations
The earliest rankings in this series were published on a county-by-county basis in 2015, using golf union boundaries rather than geographic counties. In Cheshire, Royal Liverpool led the table by some distance, with Delamere Forest at number two and Wallasey at three. In Cumbria, Silloth topped the list as it always had, with Carlisle moving up to second and Penrith climbing to third.
2017: The First North West Regional Table
The 2017 update produced the first combined North West regional Top 20, merging the three traditional counties — Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire — with Greater Manchester and Merseyside courses absorbed into those county catchments. Royal Birkdale topped the regional table ahead of Royal Lytham and Royal Liverpool. Delamere Forest was the highest-ranked non-links course, sitting inside the top ten above Wallasey, with Silloth representing Cumbria in fifth.
2019: Stability at the Top, Movement Below
The 2019 revision showed remarkable consistency at the summit of each county table. In Lancashire, the top seven were listed in identical order for the third consecutive revision. The biggest news in Cumbria was Appleby climbing two places.
2023: Expansion and New Entries
The 2023 update brought the most significant expansion since the regional rankings began, with 12 new courses added across Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire. In Cheshire, Warrington, Astbury, Bromborough, Eaton and Bramhall all entered the rankings for the first time. Cumbria welcomed Furness and Cockermouth. Lancashire added Childwall, Grange Park, Bury, North Manchester and Chorley.
The North West lends itself to golf itineraries of almost any length, largely because its best courses cluster into logical hubs.
The Southport coast is the obvious starting point for any serious North West golf trip, with Royal Birkdale, Hillside, West Lancashire and Southport & Ainsdale all within a few minutes of one another. Formby and Royal Liverpool on the Wirral extend this southern stretch significantly, and a four or five-day trip covering this corridor alone would satisfy most golfers seeking world-class links experiences.
Further north, the Lytham area offers Royal Lytham & St Annes, St Annes Old Links and Fairhaven in close proximity. For Cheshire, Delamere Forest and Sandiway are neighbouring courses that pair beautifully, with Prestbury a short drive to the east near Macclesfield.
Cumbria demands a more dedicated trip. Silloth on Solway is worth the journey in its own right, and combining it with Seascale on the west Cumbrian coast and Appleby inland makes for one of the most atmospheric golfing weekends available anywhere in England. For those drawn to the Lake District, Windermere and Brampton offer scenic golf in spectacular countryside settings.
Greater Manchester's best courses work well as a standalone urban golf break, or as a natural addition to a wider North West itinerary.
