Fairhaven

There aren’t many places in the country where you can find a brilliant mix of links and parkland. Fairhaven Golf Club is certainly one of those.

Located on the Fylde Coast, and just minutes from the Open Championship-hosting Royal Lytham & St Annes, Fairhaven is a course that will test golfers of all abilities.

With more than 100 bunkers, including plenty of links-style pot traps in play, keeping your ball on the straight and narrow is the important part at Fairhaven.

Book your spot to play at Fairhaven on the NCG Top 100s Tour here.

Visit Fairhaven’s website here.

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Fairhaven Golf Club was originally founded in the late 19th Century, with a 12-hole course situated next to Fairhaven Lake.

After almost three decades, the club moved inland to its current location at Lytham Hall Park. J H Steer and James Braid were the man to design the layout, which opened in 1924.

J A Steer made some slight changes in 1931, with Ryder Cup star Dave Thomas then being brought in during the late 1970s. His work can still be seen today, including subtle changes to the bunkering – of which there is a lot at Fairhaven.

Fairhaven is recognised as one of the best tracks in the northwest of England and features an unusual but impressive blend of links and parkland. It is home to many risk and reward holes and several punishing bunkers that can ruin your scorecard. The course is maintained and presented to the highest standards, with the front nine sitting on the inside of the layout, before the back nine then works its way around the outside, with the course playing in two loops. From the back tees, Fairhaven plays as a par 72, measuring almost 7,000 yards. Off the Whites, you receive an extra stroke, and have to deal with 230 yards less of golf course.

It is not an easy start, with a tricky par 5 to get things underway. A total of nine bunkers line the hole, and they are in all the right places. Three of those guard the green, just to put anyone off going for it in two. From par 5 to par 3, the 2nd is one of the shorter holes at Fairhaven. A narrow green sitting 185 yards away is guarded by a quartet of sand traps. The second of five par 5s comes at the 3rd. A slight dog-leg to the right, at only 506 yards from the Whites, this is reachable in two for the longer hitters. The first par 4 comes at the 4th, and it is a brute. At 443 yards, the 4th is the Stroke Index 1 at Fairhaven. The fairway is incredibly narrow, and if missed, then finding the green is not easy.

The 5th is less than 150 yards, which makes it sound a lot easier than it actually is. This short par 3 has four bunkers guarding the green, with the two on the right of the putting surface looming large. The 6th is only the second par 4 of the round, but again, it is a tough one. The fairway is made narrower by the three fairway bunkers. The green is then hidden behind a trio of cross bunkers which are some 50 yards in front of the putting surface. The 7th is one of the easier holes on the property. At only 350 yards, this can be brought down to a drive and a chip, as long as your tee shot is strong and straight.

More fairway bunkers come into play down the right side of the 8th hole. The fairway is narrow, as usual, but there is just a single sand trap by the green. The same cannot be said of the 9th. Although only 360 yards, there is a total of eight bunkers, with four of those sitting in front of the putting surface. The back nine begins with another glorious par 3. At 205 yards in length, this is the toughest of the short holes, with not just the distance being problematic. There are also three bunkers by the green, which need to be avoided. The 11th is the first of three par 5s on the back nine, and perhaps the easiest if you can get your drive away well. It is only 500 yards in length, and there are no fairway bunkers to deal with on the tee shot. The danger is to the right off the tee, as the hole turns slightly in that direction around the boundary of the property. Six bunkers closer to the green will catch your eye, but if these can be navigated, 11 is a birdie opportunity.

The 12th is another testing par 4 with fairway bunkers to avoid, while out of bounds down the right side of the hole also provides some added danger. 13 can be tricky, but it is not the most difficult challenge that you will face on your way home. It is the first of two proper parkland holes, holes which were added more recently to the course. The other is 14, which plays back in the opposite direction. It plays as a slight dog-leg left, and if the solitary fairway bunker on the left can be avoided, then this is a great birdie opportunity.

The closing stretch begins with an arrow straight par 5. It is only 500 yards in length, but with its tightness and with its fairway bunkers, driver might not necessarily be the play off the tee. The green is also guarded by four more traps. At 474 yards, the 16th is a proper par 4, and for some, it is best to play it as a three-shotter. The trouble all comes off the tee, with plenty of fairway traps in play, no matter how far you hit your driver. 17 is the signature hole at Fairhaven, a glorious par 3 that has wrecked many a card. Eight bunkers sit in a horseshoe shape around the front edge, and both sides of the green. It is only 158 yards, but club selection and connection with the ball have to be perfect. The final hole is a great risk-reward par 5. If you can fire your tee shot over the bunkers on the left inside corner of the fairway, then the green should be in reach. It is a tricky putting surface to find, even with a wedge in hand, especially with the four bunkers that guard the green.

Where is Fairhaven Golf Club located?

Fairhaven Golf Club is situated at the southern point of the Fylde Coast, on the North West Coast of England. It is just outside the town of Lytham St Annes, and less than a mile from the coastline of the Ribble Estuary which runs out to the Irish Sea. Blackpool and Preston are the closest cities to the venue, with the former within seven miles north, while Preston is only 13 miles east.

Ansdell & Fairhaven is the nearest train station to the golf club, located just half a mile from the entrance. Trains run between Preston and Blackpool South on a regular basis, usually with a train operating in each direction every hour. Manchester Airport – the United Kingdom’s busiest airport outside of London – is 60 miles away by road, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport also a similar distance from Fairhaven.

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

Both Royal Lytham & St Annes and St Annes Old Links are within a five-minute drive from Fairhaven, in a small golfing paradise on the North West Coast of England. The likes of Hillside, Southport & Ainsdale, and Royal Birkdale are within an hour’s drive around the Ribble Estuary.

What golf facilities does Fairhaven Golf Club offer?

Along with the glorious 18-hole layout, Fairhaven Golf Club also has its ow driving range, which sits on the corner of the property. There is also a short game area and a large putting green which sits in front of the clubhouse.

What are the green fees at Fairhaven Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Fairhaven 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 Fairhaven, visit their website here.

Book your spot to play at Fairhaven on the NCG Top 100s Tour here.