Hillside Golf Club

Flat opening links rise into Hillside's pine-framed giant dune corridors.

NORTHERN ENGLAND Location
LINKS Course type
18 Holes
72 Par

Beyond the Scorecard

Course established: 1911
Course designer/s: Fred W. Hawtree
Known for: Hawtree's spectacular back nine through dunes
Defining feature: Pine-framed holes between towering sandhills
Great Britain and Ireland ranking: #68
National ranking: #27

From Flat Links to Giant Dunes

The golf course at Hillside Golf Club dates to 1911, although the layout seen today took shape much later. After the club acquired new land in the 1960s, Fred W. Hawtree remodelled the course and created a new homeward half through the larger dunes. This change gave Hillside its clear two-part rhythm.

The opening nine plays across flatter linksland, with the railway marking one edge and position carrying more value than brute length. After the turn, the ground rises sharply. Fairways ripple between dunes, while elevated tees expose broader views across neighbouring links and, in clear weather, towards the Lake District and Snowdonia.

The par-five 11th captures the shift. Its elevated tee reveals a left-moving fairway before the approach climbs to a raised green, with a deep bunker waiting on the right. Mackenzie & Ebert later worked on the course, including dune reconstruction on the front nine and new sand scrapes and dunes at the 18th, strengthening the visual link between both halves.

Why Add This Course to Your Golf Experience

Hillside brings proven championship pedigree to a Northern England golf experience. Tony Jacklin defeated Bernhard Langer in a play-off for the 1982 PGA Championship, while the club later hosted the 2019 British Masters and the 2023 Amateur Championship. Its Southport setting also makes it easy to combine with Royal Birkdale or Southport & Ainsdale.

Kinfern can build these courses into one focused coastal stay, giving golfers several recognised links without long daily transfers or repeated hotel changes.