Royal Lytham & St. Annes

What does offset this adversity is the history that pours from the fairways at Royal Lytham. It begins on the somewhat unconventional par-3 opening hole, where a 15th club in the bag derailed Ian Woosnam’s bid for the Claret Jug. Seve Ballesteros famously made par from the parking lot on the 16th hole, while Gary Player closed his own victory in 1974 by putting left handed against the clubhouse wall.

It was Bobby Jones, however, that left the most indelible mark on Royal Lytham. Jones arrived to the 71st hole of the 1926 Open Championship trailing by two strokes, when his drive missed the fairway left. Off a barren and sandy lie, the future winner of the Grand Slam hit what may have been the best shot of his career - a superb mashie that found the center of the green, propelling him to his first Claret Jug. A plaque on the 17th hole commemorates the shot, and the mashie is proudly displayed inside the clubhouse.

The great Bernard Darwin once said of Royal Lytham, "Hit your ball to the right place and the way to the hole is open to you, but hit your ball to the wrong place and every kind of punishment, whether immediate or ultimate, will ensue."

And yet, in contrast are the words of the late Sir Michael Bollanack, former Secretary of the R&A... "The first time you arrive at the entrance to Royal Lytham & St Annes, the somewhat foreboding exterior of the Clubhouse gives a totally false impression of the wonderful experience that is awaiting you. The minute you enter the front door, a sense of history is all encompassing, but combined with a warmth and friendliness that is a characteristic of the membership of this great Club."

In other words, Royal Lytham & St. Annes will likely deliver the sternest test during your trip to England's Golf Coast. But if all else fails, simply enjoy the walk alongside history and when it’s done, raise a glass to one of the great monuments of golf.