With the exception of Westward Ho! in Devon, Royal Liverpool is the oldest seaside course in England. The original layout was conceived by Robert Chambers and George Morris, and was extended to 18 holes in 1871, the same year that it was awarded its Royal status. In the early days, the links land doubled as the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club, but these days the golf course takes centre stage.

Its appearance may be relatively flat and unthreatening, but when the wind picks up there is little to protect golfers, and negotiating the parched, bouncy fairways and greens is treacherous on a blustery summer's day.