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ROYAL LYTHAM AND ST. ANNES GOLF CLUB YARDS: 6673 PAR 71 Designers: George Lowe and Tom Simpson Lytham is unquestionably the most unusual course on the Open rota. It is a true links course and yet it is a mile from the sea in a decidedly urban setting. It begins with a 3 par and has successive 5 pars. It is bordered by an unsightly rail line, is quite flat without the massive sand dunes typical of Open venues and lacks any sweeping panoramas of sea and beaches whatsoever. In fact, it reminds one of some older American country clubs which were established in a rural setting but have been gradually engulfed by an expanding city. Lytham's Victorian clubhouse and adjacent dormy house create a tranquil, almost garden-like atmosphere near the 1st tee and 18th green, and yet the course itself is anything but a walk in the garden. "The course is a test of golf many times proven to be among the finest in Britain," according to The World Atlas of Golf. There it is, then. Royal Lytham and St. Annes remains on the Open rota because it is, quite simply, a great golf course. The site of nine Open Championships, Lytham hosted Bobby Jones' first Open victory in 1926, Bob Charles lone victory for left-handers in 1963, Jacklin's end to 18 years of foreign domination in 1969 and Seve Ballesteros' dramatic wins in 1979 and 1988. Tom Lehman won his first Major here in 1996 as did David Duval in 2001. Two attributes link Lytham champions: accurate irons and superb sand play. The course is characterised by very narrow fairways pinched by thick rough and more than 200 bunkers. (Some of Lytham's older members still grouse at the removal of more than 150 bunkers because the course once had at least one bunker for every day of the year.) The golfer is advised to secure his best scores early in his round at Lytham because the last half-dozen holes are as severe as any in golf and the site of some of the Open's memorable moments. Perhaps the most famous hole at Lytham is the seventeenth, a devilish 4 par of 411 yards from the championship tees. The drive must be accurately struck precisely between a nest of shallow bunkers on the left and a bank of sandhills on the right. Not surprisingly, the hole is the stuff of Open legends. A plaque near one of the left bunkers commemorates a magnificent recovery shot of some 175 yards that won the 1926 Open for Jones over Al Watrous. It ranks as one of the splendid pressure strokes of all time. An ignominious fate befell the young Jack Nicklaus in 1963, however. Leading as he stood on the 17th fairway on the final day, an overly ambitious 2-iron approach ran through the green into heavy rough. Three subsequent shots to complete the hole allowed Bob Charles and Phil Rodgers to slip by the Bear. While Charles may be the only Open champion to play the entire round from the left side, Gary Player's left handed third shot on the 72nd hole to win the 1974 championship is also quite memorable. Finding his second shot resting against the clubhouse wall, Player eschewed the unplayable drop and struck the ball with his putter, left-handed to the centre of the green. And, of course, who among us can forget that Seve won his first Open here by making par from the car park the bordered the right side of the 18th fairway! The club was founded in 1886 as an outgrowth of a company formed by Lancashire businessmen to build a new resort town. Alexander Doleman, a noted Scottish golfer and teacher from Musselburgh, came to Blackpool to open a school and was instrumental in founding the club as well. By 1897, the club grew to 400 members, moved to its present site, constructed its imposing Victorian clubhouse and recruited George Lowe from Hoylake to lay out the course and serve as professional. The move was directed by the legendary Talbot "The Squire" Clipton, who served as club president from 1896 to 1928. A physical giant of a man, Clipton set a standard for dictatorship that even Mr. Roberts of Augusta fame failed to equal. One caddie is quoted as saying of Clipton, "If the Squire drove into the rough, he grabbed the caddie and shook him like a rabbit. All the caddies...hid in the bushes when they saw his car come over the St. Thomas Bridge." The modern visitor to Lytham need no longer fear Mr. Clipton. A healthy respect for the demanding nature of the course, however, is well advised. Independent travellers: The club is located to the east off the A584 the edge of the village towards Blackpool. Driving north on A584, go three traffic lights past the White Church. Turn right at St. Thomas Street. You will see the “Parish Church of St. Thomas. Cross over the railroad tracks and turn right on St. Patrick Street (just a short distance past the railroad tracks. Although its entrance is unmarked, one can see the clubhouse complex about a half block south off the street. Enter the corner of the clubhouse near the first tee, and the porter will show you to the changing rooms on the ground floor. The upper floor contains a bar, dining rooms and snooker room (coat and tie on this floor after 7:00 PM). For golf, report to the pro shop with handicap card or letter of introduction.
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