Area | Southport |
---|---|
Club Type | Championship |
Course Type | Links |
Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club
Southport, Merseyside
Bradshaws Lane, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3LG, England
The Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club, or S&A; as it is affectionately known, is part of the chain of links courses spread along the North West coastline. The entire course is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with natterjack toads and squirrels resident among its sand dunes and heath land.
The current course was designed by James Braid, who alongside Henry Varden and J H Taylor, dominated British professional golf in the first half of the 20th Century. Much of Braid’s original layout survives to this day and the fine par four, third hole, is named in his honour.
The traditional feel of the links has been retained through the years, with S&A; making the worthwhile effort to control the spread of trees and bushes and keep the character of the course. So impressive is the course that one golf magazine named it among the top 50 golf courses in Great Britain.
In 2012, Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club was used for the Local Final Qualifying of the 2012 Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes