There are few regions in England that can rival the north west when it comes to golfing pedigree. It is home to Open venues such as Birkdale and Hoylake, which stand as some of the main attractions to golfers who flock to the area.
A part of the region that remains underrated, however, is the Fylde Coast.
At least that was the view of Tom Irwin and Mike Robertson who recalled their 48 hours in Fylde trip on the NCG Top 100s Podcast.
The pair sampled four very different courses during their trip. This included the championship pedigree offerings of Fairhaven, Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club and St Anne’s Old Links, as well as the historic charm of Fleetwood Golf Club.
With a mix of Open Championship history, lesser-known links golf, affordable accommodation and easy travel connections, they were both under the belief the stretch of coastline around Blackpool and Lytham offers the ideal balance.
According to Irwin, that balance is what makes the Fylde Coast stand out from other English golf destinations.
“This trip as a whole, it’s not for trophy venues, it’s not for work-a-day venues, it’s kind of a bit of everything. I think that if you’re planning somewhere to go on a golf trip, that’s kind of what you want.
“You’re gonna have to spend quite a bit of money to get on at Royal Lytham, Fleetwood will kind of balance that off, and the other two are somewhere in the middle.
“So, in terms of like a balanced golf trip, and something that is kind of easily doable from one hotel or one Airbnb, that is kind of what this area is offering you.”
Robertson agreed, highlighting how clubs like Fleetwood represent an accessible golf course that the region offers, that avoid the eye-watering green fees seen elsewhere.
“It’s four great golf courses in their own right, but make for a really good trip,” said Robertson.
“I think the rack rate at Fleetwood is like £70 for a round of golf, you can’t really argue with that nowadays, can you?”
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Accommodation around Blackpool, and the surrounding coastline, is also particularly cheaper than that of more established UK hotspots.
Irwin pointed out that: “I think the other appealing thing about that area to golfers and golf trips is that there’s so much accommodation that’s kind of really affordable.
“And this happens a lot, doesn’t it, on golf trips, where you think, ‘oh, we better stay somewhere nice’, but then you get there and you’re in there for about two minutes.
“So, I think that you can take cost out in that Blackpool area really easily by booking a B and B or booking an Airbnb or booking one of the many, many hotels. And it doesn’t matter that it’s not top-end because you know you’re never there – you’re out playing golf or you’re out on the town.
“I think it’s a brilliant trip that’s within reach of most people’s pockets, it’s also really easy to get to, like it’s right at the bottom of the motorway, so it’s really accessible from a logistics and a cost point of view.
“An area of golf is kind of steeped in history and loads of variety.”
“It’s one of the best trips that I we’ve done so far as part of this 48 hours in series,” Robertson added.
“It felt a bit more like we were with the people on this one, rather than going up to the Highlands and ticking off absolute trophy venues.”
NOW LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST
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NOW HAVE YOUR SAY
Do you think the Fylde Coast is one of the best parts of England for a golf trip? Which courses have you played in the North west of England? Let us know by leaving a comment or by getting in touch with us on X!
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