Royal Lytham & St Annes Course Guide

Rather quirkily, Royal Lytham & St Annes begins with a par-3, testing a player’s short game from the off.

Depending on the pin position, players may choose to hit a fairway wood or hybrid off the tee.

The green may be relatively flat, but it is protected by five tricky bunkers; three on the left and two on the right, so an accurate tee shot is key.

Jeong Jang – AIG Women’s Open Champion in 2005 – hit a magical hole-in-one here during the final round in 2009.

A railway line runs along the right-hand side of the 2nd hole, but this is the perfect line for players to take off the tee in order to open up the green for their approach shot.

Three bunkers are sneakily positioned on the right-hand side of the fairway, while two more sand traps sit on the left, should a golfer attempt a different route.

The green, protected by three more bunkers, slopes from left to right.

Nine bunkers are scattered across this relatively straight yet demanding par-4 which ranks as the most difficult hole on the course.

Longer hitters will have to be careful off the tee as the fairway narrows at a crucial juncture, with thick rough waiting down the left.

Care must also be taken with the second shot – anything long risks being sucked into the deep bunker at the back left of the green.

The 4th hole is a left-hand dogleg so the optimal tee shot will be struck down the right side of the fairway, wide enough to provide a good view of the heavily bunkered green. However, three right-hand bunkers, alongside thick rough, makes this approach far from straightforward.

Anything hit towards the left will leave players with virtually no clear view of the putting surface.

Traditionally played into the wind, the 5th hole may well feel longer than its stated 216 yards.

Club selection, and pin position, could be key with three bunkers lurking at the front of the green. Long hitters such as Nelly Korda may opt for a 5-hybrid or even a 7-wood off the tee.

Another left-to-right dogleg requires a tee shot played into a fairway full of bumps and hollows. Landing on the right-hand side is yet again the best option, though players must beware of two strategically placed bunkers on the axis.

A raised green is protected by bunkers either side and on the front right.

The longest hole at Royal Lytham & St Annes, this monster par-5 comes replete with 14 bunkers!

Julia Lopez Ramirez is the longest driver on the LPGA Tour in 2025 (284 yards on average) and yet, so long is this hole that a typical tee shot from the Spaniard would still leave her needing a fairway wood to reach the green in two.

Six of the 14 bunkers are scattered around a long, thin putting surface which drops from front to back, making the approach shot difficult to judge.

This is ranked as the third most-difficult hole on the course – and is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Another fairly straight hole which reconnects with the railway line on the right.

Most players will have no trouble finding a relatively wide fairway, but the second shot is fraught with danger; three bunkers are spread across the fairway just in front of the elevated green, with two more laying in wait either side of the putting surface.

The bunker to the left of the green is the deepest on the course – avoid at all costs!

Since 2001, the 9th at Royal Lytham has witnessed more holes-in-one (4) than any other hole at any venue on the AIG Women’s Open roster.

England’s Tina Barrett got the ball rolling in 2003 with Lee-Ann Walker-Cooper following suit in 2006. There were two more here in 2018 courtesy of Florentyna Parker and two-time major winner Brooke Henderson.

At 163 yards, the likes of world number one Jeeno Thitikul may opt for an easy 7-iron off the tee.

Despite its susceptibility to holes-in-one, landing on the putting surface is vital due to the green being surrounded by bunkers.

An accurate tee shot is crucial in order to avoid any drama at the beginning of the back nine.

Two large mounds come into play as the fairway narrows – but if these are avoided, players will be left with a mid-iron into a green which slopes back down towards the fairway, with four front bunkers waiting for anything short.

Even though this isn’t as long as Lytham’s other par-5, the fact it is usually played against the wind means many in the field will find it tough to reach the green in two.

The fairway narrows on approach to the green, so an accurate second shot is required to avoid the long rough and bunkers on either side.

Meanwhile, a slightly raised, undulating green will ask serious questions of a player’s putting ability.

The great Jack Nicklaus – winner of 18 major titles – believes the 12th at Royal Lytham is one of the best short holes in golf.

If the pin is positioned towards the right of the green, any player brave enough to attack it will be required to fly their ball over two deep bunkers just in front. If players opt left, any miscue suddenly brings a further four sand traps into play.

There have been two Championship holes-in-one on the 12th – hit by Lorie Kane in 2006 and eventual Champion Catriona Matthew in 2009.

Finding the left-side of the fairway will bring you directly in line with a long, narrow green.

If Charley Hull, runner-up in 2023 and 2025, produces her average distance off the tee, she will be left with no more than a 54° wedge onto the dancefloor.

The landing area is relatively large, while subtle undulations mean three-putts are a distinct possibility.

The margin for error off the 14th tee is minimal. There are bunkers and sandhills on the right, and mounds covered in thick rough on the left.

Even if these are avoided, further danger is in store on the approach with a bunker, more thick rough and out-of-bounds to the right of the green, and a second bunker front left.

Four pars on this hole would be a terrific return.

The 15th bends slightly from left to right – but any adventurous player who attempts to cut the corner with their driver must be wary of two bunkers and a long stretch of rough.

A semi-blind approach shot can be expected here with players having to negotiate dunes and bunkers across the fairway.

The green narrows at the front with bunkers right and left.

The scene of Seve Ballesteros’ famous shot from the car park in 1979, the 16th begins a tricky sequence of closing holes at Lytham.

A blind tee shot must find an unobstructed fairway to avoid any late drama while further composure is required on approach to avoid the five greenside bunkers.

The fairway on this right-to-left 17th is extremely tight and littered with bunkers, so accuracy off the tee is paramount.

There is a plaque near one of the left-hand sand traps to mark Bobby Jones’ famous second shot in the final round of The Open in 1926.

An open green is protected on either side by even more bunkers.

One of the most famous finishing holes in golf, with one the most iconic clubhouses as the backdrop.

Bunkers line each side of the fairway and either side of the green – the longest green on the course. In the final round in 1998, Sherri Steinhauer landed a 6-iron on the front of this green and watched on as the ball rolled to within seven feet of the cup, leading to a straightforward birdie for victory.