Caldy

Caldy Golf Club is one of several stunning venues on the Wirral, and it is a golf course that is split into two sections. 

Ten holes sit on the eastern side of the railway line, with eight down by the coastline, offering up incredible views on a clear day across the Dee Estuary and out to Wales. 

The club was founded in the 1900s, but the current layout was only brought into play in the 1970s, when the clubhouse was moved from its original position to where it sits now.

Visit Caldy’s website here.

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Jack Morris, the nephew of Old Tom Morris, was drafted in to design the first nine-hole layout on the property at Caldy Manor Estate. That opened in 1907, with Caldy Golf Club being formed. 

The great James Braid was then brought in to give his thoughts on a new nine holes, bringing the course up to 18 holes. That opened in 1931, with holes either side of the railway line. 

1974 saw the clubhouse relocated from its original position behind what is now the 6th green to its current spot. That meant a change to the routing, to what golfers play today.

Caldy, like pretty much every other big hitter on the North West Coast of England, is a proper links venue, though it is split into two parts. The opening pair and the last eight are all on the eastern side of the railway line. In between sit eight holes on the opposite side, right on the coastline and with those views across the Dee Estuary to Wales. From the tips, Caldy pushes past the 6,700-yard mark, playing as a tough Par 72 that does give you chances if you can put the ball in the right spots. 

The first two holes sit on the eastern side of the railway line. The opening hole is a dog-leg left that plays downhill off the tee, before then rising back up towards the green. Three bunkers on the inside corner almost force you to play out wide to the right, leaving a longer shot into the putting surface. The 2nd is the first of the par 3s at Caldy, and one of three that nudges past 185 yards. A pair of bunkers sit on the left side of the putting green, which is two-tiered. You then take the long walk over the railway bridge, and you get to see Wales for the first time. 

After you have enjoyed the panoramic view, it is back to business with the testing dog-leg right par 4 3rd. Playing around the 400-yard mark, and with trees, gorse and a trio of bunkers on the right, it is another hole where aiming out to the safe part of the fairway is the key. At 340 yards, the 4th is a good birdie chance. It is slightly uphill off the tee, but it is pretty wide to allow you to take driver out. The first of the par 5s comes at the 5th, a 540-yard brute, especially if it plays into the wind. Your tee shot is played slightly inland, before the hole then curves its way back towards the coast. The 6th takes you into the far corner of the property. Another tough par 4, especially thanks to the steep drop in front of the green. 

As you make your way back towards the railway bridge, the 7th is the next par 5. A small pond sits front right of the putting surface, so if you are going for it with your second, make sure you have enough club! 8 is a great short par 3, that plays a club less thanks to its elevated tee box. The green sits on an angle, with a longer carry over the two bunkers to a back right flag. The front nine ends with a long par 4. Trees are in view down the right side, which may force you to pull your tee shot towards the pair of bunkers on the left side of the fairway. The green is deep, and with a ridge in the middle. The last hole on this side of the tracks is another long par 3. Bunkers sit either side, but there is plenty of space if you do miss the green. 

After crossing the bridge again, you come to the lengthy par 5 11th. At 520 yards, and playing uphill on the approach, it is a tricky hole to reach in two. Throw in the five greenside bunkers and the halfway hut to the left of the green, and you might think twice about taking it on... From there, you come to a run of five par 4s, none of which yield an easy chance. 12 is 440 yards from the tips, and has OOB running down the entirety of its right side.13 has a trio of bunkers down the left side of its fairway, while the green is guarded by a very deep trap in front of it. A ditch comes into play on 14, and you have the option of trying to drive it and playing out left, or staying short of it and giving yourself a longer approach to the green. 

15 is a dog-leg right where you only need a tee shot of around 220 yards to be in prime position. However, the quartet of bunkers that sit on the right side of the fairway will push you towards aiming slightly left, where the trees come into play. The second small pond on the course features to the right of the 15th green. 16 is another long par 4, more than 400 yards, and with the course’s most unusual feature – a large stone rock embedded into the fairway around 50 yards from the green. It is just another thing to avoid on your approach! 

17 is one of the signature holes at Caldy. It is the last of the par 3s on the course, and has plenty of danger. The green is two-tiered, and guarded at the front by a ditch that runs across the hole. Anything slightly short of the putting surface will roll back into the ditch. There is also a bunker at the back, along with OOB running further past that. The closing hole is a strong dog-leg right par 5. It is carded at just 495 yards, but it feels longer than that thanks to the sharp turn in the fairway. The ideal drive will cut a bit of the corner off to find the flat part of the fairway. From there, it is still around 220 yards to the front edge, but it is a short that has glory written all over it! Just make sure you miss to the left if you do miss the green, as OOB looms on the right thanks to the practice area.

Where is Caldy Golf Club located?

Caldy is one of several golfing venues to be situated on the Wirral Peninsula. It is located on the western side of the Wirral, with views across the Dee Estuary to North Wales. The course is located to the south of the village of Caldy, with the village of Thurstaston to the south of the golf club. Birkenhead is eight miles from the venue, while the city of Liverpool is within a 12-mile drive.

For those travelling by train, West Kirby is the nearest station, around three miles to the north of Caldy Golf Club. West Kirby sits at the end of the train line, with services running to and from Liverpool Central on a regular basis. International visitors are best flying into either Liverpool John Lennon Airport or Manchester Airport. The former is 20 miles from the venue, while Manchester – the busiest airport in the United Kingdom outside of London – is around 50 miles to the east of Caldy.

Are there any NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?

Caldy’s location, situated on the west on the Wirral, means that it is just a few miles down the road from Royal Liverpool. Wallasey is also within just a short drive, also on the peninsula, while the likes of West Lancs, Formby and Formby Ladies are all within 25 miles via the Wallasey Tunnel.

What golf facilities does Caldy Golf Club offer?

Along with the 18-hole championship layout, Caldy also has its own little six-hole par 3 course, which sits on the opposite side of the car park. There is also a full-sized driving range to the left side of the opening hole, along with a great short game area and large putting green.

What are the green fees at Caldy Golf Club?  

The price of a green fee at Caldy Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Caldy, visit their website here.