Where to stay near Wallasey Golf Club, the Wirral links where Stableford began

What is Wallasey Golf Club?

Wallasey Golf Club is a private members' links golf club on the north coast of the Wirral peninsula, in Wallasey, Merseyside. The course runs through tall sand dunes beside Liverpool Bay, and on a clear day there are views across the water towards North Wales.

It is widely regarded as one of the finest links courses in the North West, and it welcomes visiting golfers and societies as well as members. England Golf uses it as a championship venue, and in 2025 it shared hosting of the English Amateur Championship with Royal Liverpool.

Who designed Wallasey Golf Club?

Old Tom Morris of St Andrews, the four times Open champion, laid out the links in 1891 after a group of golfers from nearby Hoylake founded the club.

Over the following decades the course was refined by a remarkable list of champions and architects: Sandy Herd in 1901, Harold Hilton in 1913, James Braid in 1929, and Hawtree with J H Taylor from 1936. The full 18 holes were restored in 1952.

Four of Old Tom's original greens are still in play today: Stableford (the 2nd), Lane (the 7th), Hummocks (the 8th) and Old Glory (the 12th). Recent course work has remodelled bunkers and greens while protecting that character.

Why is Wallasey famous for Stableford scoring?

Stableford, the points format played by club golfers all over the world, was invented at Wallasey. Dr Frank Stableford, a club member, devised it to keep ordinary golfers in contention on a long and windy links, and the first Stableford competition was played at Wallasey on 16 May 1932.

That first event was won by Frederick Lister with 36 points. The 2nd hole is named Stableford in his honour, and for many visiting golfers a points round at the club where it all began is the highlight of a Wirral trip.

Has Wallasey Golf Club hosted The Open?

Wallasey has not hosted The Open itself, but it has been an Open qualifying venue four times, in 1930, 1936, 1956 and 2006, each time when the championship was played at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake.

In 1930 Bobby Jones qualified at Wallasey on his way to winning The Open at Hoylake, part of his famous Grand Slam year. A portrait of Jones by J. A. A. Berrie hangs in the clubhouse, and Jones had a copy made that now hangs at Augusta National.

The 1956 qualifying field included Peter Thomson, who went on to win at Hoylake, along with Henry Cotton, Gene Sarazen, Peter Alliss and a 20 year old Gary Player.

Can visitors play Wallasey Golf Club?

Yes. Visitors and golf societies are welcome, and tee times can be booked online through the club website at wallaseygolfclub.com. Green fees are seasonal, with summer rates higher than winter, so check the latest prices when you book.

The club is at Bayswater Road, Wallasey, CH45 8LA. It is a true links, so expect firm fairways, deep bunkers and wind off the sea, and bring a waterproof layer even in summer.

Like most traditional members' clubs, Wallasey has visitor requirements such as dress code and handicap guidance, so read the visitor information on the club website before you travel.

Where should you stay to play Wallasey Golf Club?

The best base has parking, room for clubs and a kitchen for early starts, within a short drive of the course. Wirral Stays has three owner managed homes that fit that brief, all around 10 minutes from Wallasey Golf Club:

• Patricia Place, Birkenhead: a three bedroom house sleeping up to six, about 3 miles from the club and a 5 minute walk from Birkenhead North station.

• Fairwater House, Birkenhead: three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a private south facing garden, also about 3 miles from the club and close to Birkenhead North station.

• Kingfisher Nest, Moreton: a three bedroom home about 4 miles from the club, and the closest of the three to Royal Liverpool.

Every home has driveway parking, a washing machine for wet kit and space to store golf bags and trolleys. A group of up to six can stay together in one house, and larger societies can book more than one home.

How do you get to Wallasey Golf Club from Birkenhead?

By car it is a simple run of about 3 miles north from Birkenhead North, taking around 10 minutes outside peak times. A taxi from either Birkenhead home takes a similar time.

Without a car, take the Merseyrail Wirral line from Birkenhead North towards New Brighton. Wallasey Grove Road is two stops away and is the nearest station to the club, around a 15 to 20 minute walk from the clubhouse.

Which other famous golf courses are near Wallasey?

Wallasey sits on one of the best stretches of links golf in England, which makes it easy to build a two or three course trip:

• Royal Liverpool, Hoylake: a regular host of The Open, most recently in 2023, around 20 minutes from the Birkenhead homes and 10 to 15 minutes from Kingfisher Nest.

• Leasowe Golf Club: a coastal links a short drive west along the north Wirral shore, around 10 minutes from all three homes.

• Caldy, Heswall and Prenton: Dee Estuary and parkland golf for a change of pace, around 15 to 20 minutes away.

Staying in Birkenhead or Moreton puts all of them within easy reach, so the group can play a different course each day without changing accommodation.

Planning a Wallasey golf trip: a simple checklist

• Book tee times first, then accommodation, especially for summer weekends and Open weeks at Hoylake.

• Check the visitor information on the club website for dress code and handicap guidance.

• Share your group size and dates with Helen so she can suggest the right home, or Patricia Place and Fairwater House together for larger societies, as both are near Birkenhead North.

• Pack waterproofs and layers, because links weather on the Wirral coast can change quickly.

• Plan evenings in New Brighton or Liverpool, or stay in with the group, since every house has a full kitchen and a relaxed living space.