About the course
Hillside Golf Club is a links on the southern side of Southport, on the Lancashire coast, and despite a name that suggests something inland it is laid out in genuine seaside sandhills. A ridge of large dunes divides it from Royal Birkdale, and a scattering of pines among the sand gives parts of the course a slightly different look from its neighbours.
The club was founded in 1911 and played a nine-hole course until the 1920s, when it was extended to eighteen holes. Its present layout dates from the 1960s, when part of the original land was sold for housing and the club gained new ground in the dunes. Fred W. Hawtree used it to redesign the course and turned a modest club into a championship venue. Hillside has since hosted the PGA Championship in 1982, the Amateur Championship three times and the British Masters in 2019, and it is used for Final Qualifying for The Open.
The opening holes are subtle, with a railway line running down the left of the 1st and well placed bunkers on the 2nd setting the tone. The 11th, a par 5, is the best known hole on the course: from its high tee there are wide views over the dunes across the neighbouring links of Royal Birkdale and Southport and Ainsdale. The 17th rises and falls through the sandhills, and the 18th asks for a committed approach from an elevated tee to a raised green. Strong winds off the Irish Sea are common.
Why we recommend it
Hillside sits right next to Royal Birkdale, separated only by a footpath, and many visitors come away feeling it deserves far more attention. The front nine is fairly flat, but the back nine climbs into big dunes with elevated tees and some of the finest links holes in England. It rewards thoughtful course management more than power. With Birkdale and Formby a few minutes away, it is an easy and rewarding addition to any Southport trip.
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Video
| Ranking England | 22 |
| Architect | Fred W. Hawtree |
| Year of foundation | 1911 |
| Par Course | 72 |
| Number of holes | 18 |