Hesketh is the oldest golf club in Southport, established in 1885. The club is set amongst the Victorian villas of the residential area of Churchtown, Southport.

Course designers have included George Lowe, the designer of the original Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham courses as well as the illustrious James Braid.

Hesketh sits beside a nationally renowned nature reserve and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Professional Championship golf has been played at Hesketh from the early days. In addition to being regularly chosen as a Qualifying venue when The Open is played at nearby Royal Birkdale, Hesketh has hosted County Championships, National Championships and top events in women’s golf.

In 2008, Hesketh hosted the R&A Junior Open Championship and, more recently, with Hillside Golf Club, co-hosted the Amateur Championship in 2011. In 2023 Regional Qualifying for The Open Championship returns to the club.

Hesketh is well established in the history of golf – the English Golf Union has its roots here. Amongst the famous names to play at Hesketh is Henry Cotton (set a then course record of 68 in 1932) and no history of Hesketh would be complete without referring to the Bentley brothers, Harry and Arnold, who are often described as the most illustrious pair of brothers in the history of the amateur game. Arnold also deserves special mention for being one of the two-man team that triumphed for Britain at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. The so-called ‘Hitler Trophy’ now resides in Hesketh’s clubhouse. Another part of Hesketh’s folklore is the fir tree that was unusually presented to Arnold as part of his prize and which now sits on a sand dune outside the clubhouse.

In recent years, Hesketh has been a breeding ground for a number of professional golfers.

Professional golfers associated with Hesketh have experienced considerable tournament success with two former Assistant Pros, Tony Coop and Brian Waites (twice), winning on the European Tour. Lee Slattery became the Club’s third European Tour winner when he won the Madrid Masters in 2011 and Russian Open in 2015. Matthew Baldwin became the Club’s fourth European Tour (DP World Tour) winner in 2023 with victory in South Africa.

The course sets a testing yet fair challenge for golfers of all abilities. It is distinctive by virtue of the fact that half of the holes nestle between sand dunes, while the others border the Ribble estuary. The 14th to 18th loop that meanders its way between the sand dunes with the imposing Hesketh clubhouse in the background providing a tremendous finish.

The Club offers visiting golfers a series of open competitions and a competitive range of golfing packages that are available to both visitors and societies alike.

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