The EVOLUTION of the links

Joe McDonnell, whose stunning golf course models and graphics are a class apart, delves into Hoylake's long history

- Joe McDonnell

James Muir Dowie, who would become Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s first captain, wrote in a letter convening a meeting in 1869, ”It has been suggested that Hoylake offers a suitable and convenient ground for playing golf.”

That ground was leased by John Ball Sr and was known as The Warren – home to rabbits, sheep, and the Liverpool Hunt Club racecourse.

Robert Chambers and George Morris (brother of Old Tom) were brought from Scotland to lay out nine holes, avoiding the racecourse and rabbit scrapes where possible. This routing was located at the northern end of the current course, starting and finishing in front of the Royal Hotel, which served as a clubhouse until 1895. Within two years, the club’s rapid success and increased membership prompted a decision to expand the course, first to 12 holes, and then to 18.

The period from 1890 through to the end of the 1920s was arguably the most significant phase in the evolution of the links. Before 1900, the course boundaries were still relatively fluid. Some land was lost, but some was acquired, and an altogether better and more cohesive layout was created ahead of the club’s first Open Championship in 1897.

The course was in poor condition after World War I and, in 1921, discussions began regarding design and maintenance. In 1923, Harry Colt was asked to assess the course and his proposals were put into effect ahead of the 1924 Open, raising the stature of the links to a new level.