Located on the Furness Peninsula, and running alongside the Irish Sea, Furness Old Links is one of the oldest golfing venues in England.
On a clear day, both the Isle of Man and the Scottish coast are in view, just to add to the charm of a golf club that dates back to the 1870s.
The run of holes from the 7th through to the 12th all run along the water’s edge, so Furness is not a place to be playing if you’re struggling with a miss to the right off the tee!
History
1872 is the year of the founding of Furness Old Links. That makes it the sixth oldest golfing venue in the country, along with being England’s third oldest links layout.
Royal North Devon and Royal Liverpool are among those very few golf clubs that can say they outdate Furness Old Links.
The course started out as just a 6-hole design. It would later be extended to nine holes, and then further to the 18 holes that you see and play today. The club then celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022.
What makes Furness Old Links special?
Furness Old Links sits on a small island off the western edge of Cumbria, with the Irish Sea coming into play down the right side of six consecutive holes around the turn.
On a sunny day, the Isle of Man is clearly in view to the west, and you can see across to the water’s edge from the majority of the course on this glorious old-school links course.
Where does it rank?
6th in Cumbria
Where is Furness Old Links?
Furness Old Links is situated on the northwest coastline of England, in the county of Cumbria. The Old Links is sat on Walney Island, just off the mainland of the country, with a number of holes running along the coastline of the Irish Sea. The Lake District National Park is not too far away to the northeast, with Kendal – and the M6 Motorway – around 35 miles to the east. Carlisle is 85 miles north, while Manchester is 100 miles to the south. Despite being over 100 miles away, Manchester Airport is still the nearest major international airport to Furness Old Links. It is also the busiest airport outside of London in the United Kingdom.
Advertisement
Get in touch with Furness Old Links
For more information about the club and course, visit its website or call them on 01229 471232.
You can play at Furness Old Links on the NCG Top 100s Tour this year!
- Book your spot to play at Furness Old Links on the NCG Top 100s Tour on September 15th, 2026 here.
- You can also play at Seascale and Appleby in our Cumbria Swing – check that out here.
Now have your say
Have you ever had the pleasure of playing at Furness Old Links? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
