ROYAL LYTHAM & ST.ANNE'S GOLF CLUB

Lytham & St.Anne's Golf Club was formed in 1886, when the new resort of St.Anne's-on-the-Sea was a mere 11 years old. Since 1875, the St.Anne's Land & Building Company had been struggling to create a middle class resort amongst the sand dunes and fields at the West End of Lytham Manor. Despite initial success, a property slump set in and throughout the 1880s the town languished, making virtually no progress. This stagnation meant that there were vast areas of land available that would not be built upon for some years to come and the golf club chose a site to the north-east of the town for its course.

The new club leased a room in the St.Anne's Hotel to use as their headquarters. The first tee was just over the railway tracks, near the station. The course was created over fields and sand dunes.

In the 1890s, buildings once again started to go up in some numbers and an era of prosperity returned to St.Annes. Consequently, the golf course was soon being eyed by builders, and the club had to find a new site.

The site of the present course was once part of Lytham Common. This was not particularly good grazing land as centuries of blown sand had drifted across it, and in some parts sand dunes had formed. Many of these natural features were retained, but until the golf club arrived the area was totally devoid of foliage, save that of a few bushes.

The club has hosted many important competitions including the British Open Championships of 1926 (won by Bobby Jones); 1952 (Bobby Locke); 1958 (Peter Thomson,); 1963 (Bob Charles); 1969 (Tony Jacklin); 1974 (Gary Player); 1979 & 1988 (both won by Seve Bellesteros); 1996 (Tom Lehman) & 2001 (David Duval).

The history of the club is well documented in Tony Nickson's books, "The Lytham Century" & "The Lytham Century and Beyond".