
Golf Road, Formby, Liverpool L37 1LQ
Golf Road, Formby, Liverpool L37 1LQ
Set just behind the coastal reserve owned by the National Trust, Formby golf course is a jewel, differentiated from many others by being studded with groves of tall pines and swathes of heather. These combine to give the course the unique sense of being traditional beachfront links set in a measure of heathland. It also makes for a varied golfing challenge in the most attractive and tranquil setting.
Formby Golf Club was established here in 1884 by John Bushby, who initially asked members for an annual subscription of one guinea (£1,05 today). Since then, the Formby golf course has made the very most of this special location. Formby has hosted the Amateur Championship four times; in 1957, 1967, 2009, and notably in 1984, when Spaniard J M Olazabal beat the formidable Colin Montgomery. And although there are plenty of other clubs brimming with history here on the famous Golf Coast, few have one as quirky as Formby’s.

The handsome clubhouse standing here today was constructed in 1901 after fire destroyed the first building in 1889. The Formby golf club’s distinctive clock tower was donated in 1909 by Bruce Ismay, chairman of The White Star Line. Three years later, he would be one of the few to survive the sinking of his company’s ship, the RMS Titanic. That same year the widow of a recently deceased trustee donated the club her husband’s stuffed hippopotamus. In 1945 the taxidermied beast was ‘liberated’ by junior naval officers and survived a journey on a troopship under fire to Norway.
As with Formby, plenty of other top-flight golf clubs have hosted The Arnold Palmer and The Curtis Cup. But none except Formby hold the annual Hippo Competition, the prize for which is a replica of the notorious creature’s head.
Pure Golf Travel specialises in booking bespoke golf breaks encompassing some of the UK’s finest courses. We remove the stress of organising group tours, design your perfect itinerary and deliver the entertainment, challenge and relaxation that dedicated golfers demand.

The Pure Golf Travel Club specialises in booking bespoke golf breaks encompassing some of the UK’s finest courses. We remove the stress of organising group tours, design your perfect itinerary and deliver the entertainment, challenge and relaxation that dedicated golfer’s demand. Making lifelong golfing memories for the most discerning golfers.
Arrange your no-obligation call today and receive a personalised golf itinerary proposal.