Royal Liverpool Course Guide

The 1st hole at Royal Liverpool is a tricky beginning for the top professionals, without taking into account the pressures of being the opening for an Open Championship. Bunkering on both sides of the fairway at ideal driving distance, including a new bunker in 2022, means strategic play is important. The prevailing wind at Royal Liverpool, from the west, would see this hole played more into the breeze. However, the wind often changes direction during the summer months, as has been the case at the previous two Hoylake Opens, which could enable players to try and be aggressive, driving over the bunkers to leave a shorter shot in. Regardless, finding the fairway gives the best chance of finding a narrow target with lots of run-off areas and surrounding bunkers. The green is also notoriously tricky in its subtleties, and with a number of humps and hollows, finding the right portion of the putting surface is key on approach shots, placing further emphasis on being in the fairway to begin your Championship.

'Stand' is the traditional 18th hole for members, and has been the backdrop for many iconic moments in past Opens prior to the Championship routing change in 2006, including the triumphs of Roberto De Vicenzo, Peter Thomson and the great Bobby Jones. In 2023, like in 2006 and 2014, 'Stand' will play as the 2nd hole for The Open, and it is no easy feat, particularly into the possible easterly wind of the summer months, with a tight drive on a hole measuring nearly 460 yards. Like the 1st hole, the bunkers are well placed at the driving area, so players will likely lay back short of these traps from the tee leaving a medium-to-long approach to a well guarded green. Front pins on this hole may well be tough to access, with three bunkers protecting the narrow entrance, so players will likely favour the back portion of the green on most days, regardless of the pin.

The 3rd at Hoylake during The Open is played as the first for members, and is a beloved ‘19th hole’ for matchplay situations, owing to the club’s strong history of amateur and matchplay golf. The reason it is so well adored is the difficulty it can possess, and the possibility of finding out of bounds on both your tee shot and approach shot. The internal out of bounds at Hoylake runs down the entire right-hand side of the first, as it doglegs sharply to the right. There is a possibility for the bravest players to try and cover a fair portion of the out of bounds from the tee, but even the slightest push could end in disaster, and any shot slightly pulled off the intended line will most likely find rough beyond the fairway. Therefore, many players will take an iron and leave themselves around 180-220 yards to the green. Out of bounds again can come into play on the right, but a significant bail-out area to the left with just a lone front bunker guarding the green is a good miss on windy days and will no doubt be a popular spot. The green itself is relatively straightforward but can possess very subtle breaks as is often the case at Hoylake. Players who have played the first three holes at par or better will be thrilled, as they approach a scorable part of the course.

The beginning of a gettable two-hole stretch. A fun risk-and-reward hole, the usually downwind 4th represents a great birdie chance, but only to those who navigate it shrewdly. The hole is drivable in length, but not in nature, as bunkers guard the entrance to the green that is set at a 45-degree angle to the tee. Some pins on a sloping green can be inaccessible if the wrong spot is found off the tee, making positional play important. Many will opt for an iron, attempting to hug the left side of the fairway, allowing a great angle to attack with a wedge. Small hillocks of rough and gorse await to the left of the fairway, however, adding complications to the lie and offering up less control, and shots that find the rough down the right will struggle to access any pin that isn’t positioned at the back right. The green is raised slightly and runs off on all sides into bunkers and swales, but with a good tee shot, the 4th is a great birdie chance.

The 5th is arguably the best birdie chance on the course. The shortest of the three par-5s at Hoylake, a good drive on this hole that moves slightly off the far right bunker is ideal, leaving a medium-to-long approach into a well-guarded green. Players who enjoy moving their ball from right to left will be licking their chops on this hole, as both the drive and second shot require the shape to reach their intended targets, with the green set at a right to left angle and two bunkers guarding the entrance. Shots played up to the right may find their way down a hill to the green, but those that stray too far right potentially leave tricky chips, and any shot directly at the pin may find trouble either short or long. Much will depend on how the conditions play, but in any case 'Long' is a great birdie chance.

The first of four wonderful par-3s at Hoylake, the 6th hole plays slightly uphill to an elevated green. The front of the green has a severe run off, with cavernous bunkers awaiting at the foot of the hill both front and left. Players who miss right will have their short game equally tested with a bank on that side and a green that then runs away from them. Middle of the green is a safe bet from the tee, but accuracy is paramount. However, in benign conditions and with a favourable pin location, the world's best will see this hole as another chance to improve upon their score.

After a relatively calm three-hole stretch, the 7th at Hoylake reminds players how tough the course can be. An intimidating tee shot offers up significant challenges regardless of wind. Into a strong wind, the hole becomes brutally long, with a 250-yard drive required to even reach the fairway, whereas if the wind switches to an easterly and conditions are firm, carrying the ball onto the fairway and then stopping it short of the nasty bunkers on both sides of the driving area will be tricky. Gorse awaits very loose shots to the left and right from the tee. If the fairway is found, the approach is a bit more straightforward, with lots of room to the right to work a ball towards the surface, although shots taking on the left-hand side of the green risk bringing two gaping bunkers into play. The surface itself is at the same height as most of the surrounding area, however it moves a lot and reading it correctly is not easy. Par on this hole will undoubtedly gain on the field come July.

On the 8th at Hoylake, players will need to hit over out of bounds, which although not really in play for the world's best offers issues in terms of visibility and picking the right line. The question then becomes how aggressive players want to be, with bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway and gorse creeping in on the left hand side. The further down players go, the tighter the fairway becomes, creating a greater risk of finding the gorse. A good play is to hit level or just before the bunkering to the right of the fairway, leaving a medium-to-short approach and giving a great birdie chance. However if players get too cute to a right pin, a tiny run-off area and two front bunkers await to gobble up golf balls and potentially turn a birdie into a bogey. Caution should therefore be exercised in tricky conditions, particularly when missing the fairway from the tee.

A fun par-3 as players reach the end of the front nine. The prevailing wind on 'Dowie' is usually right to left and slightly down, which presents problems. At 200 yards with a long green that runs diagonally from left to right at an angle, holding the ball up against the wind and landing it short is somewhat of a challenge. If the ground is firm, players will need to land the ball considerably short of the green to attack any sort of front pins, with two front bunkers making the entrance narrow. Run-off areas back left and a bunker to the left also can cause issues with back pin locations, particularly as the green sits at a slight left to right angle from the tee. The green also has a large amount of movement and holing short putts for birdie, or more likely par, will be difficult.

Traditionally a par-5 at Hoylake and at The Open, the 10th will play as a par-4 in 2023, and suddenly becomes one of the most difficult holes on the course as players begin their back nine. The drive is fairly innocuous, however placement in the wrong position can leave difficult lies for the second shot, which will probably be with a mid-to-long iron at best. A large mound in the middle of the fairway can also obstruct views to the green, which is slightly raised to the fairway. The green has a very steep run-off area to the left, and an even deeper bunker to the right, with the approach now more mentally trying with the hole playing as a par-4. Taking four at 'Far' will always be a good score, particularly under Open Championship conditions in 2023.

Although not the start of the back nine, the 11th marks the point where the player heads for home, as the 10th green and 11th tee mark the far point of the course from the clubhouse. The 11th runs back parallel to the 10th hole, and offers a beautiful view from the tee of the ocean to the left. The tee shot itself plays up to the top of a hill, and players will hope to get over that brow if conditions are favourable, leaving them with a short approach to a green that sits just below them. The approach is fairly narrow and tight, so the shorter the club in the players' hands the better. Depending on pin placement, players can be aggressive in trying to make a birdie, but trouble awaits on both sides, with bunkers flanking the entrance to the green and difficult and steep swales to the left making for a tough up and down.

The 12th continues round to the left, running along the shoreline, doglegging that way with the fairway cambering slightly left to right. Three bunkers lie in wait to the right-hand side for aggressive tee shots that are leaked out that way. Depending on the wind, longer hitters could be able to take the bunkers out of play with a right to left shape up the hole, but a sea of rough all down the left-hand side makes that option risky. Once the fairway is found, a tough approach can also await depending on the pin. The green is raised significantly from the fairway, and is very long in length. Pins at the front are very accessible where the green is at its widest, but the further back the flag, the tougher the shot, as a huge run-off area to the left creeps in to the back of the green which can become quite tight, with misses to the right and long also leaving very difficult up and downs.

The favourite hole of many members at Royal Liverpool, the par-3 13th is a stunning hole that employs optical illusions to only add to the difficulty. From the tee it appears as if there is no room to the left, with only far-right pins fully visible, and the undulation of mounds 100 yards away blocking the view, leaving the impression that left is a no-go zone. In some ways that is true, with rough hillocks and difficult lies awaiting down that side, but there is considerably more room than first appears. The green runs diagonally from right to left, with a bail-out zone short and right. Anything pin-high right, however, can find significant trouble with a bunker to the right and a gnarly hill, from where an up and down is extremely difficult, that comes into play more than would be expected.

The 14th is a brilliant hole and another very difficult par-4, with yet another intimidating Championship tee. The hole appears to be just a slight dogleg, but in fact curves quite significantly from right to left. With the tee elevated from the fairway, bunkers line the right and left of the hole, with the traps on the left signalling the start of the hole turning hard to the left. In the right conditions, the very longest players may be tempted to try and carry the traps to the left, however this brings in significant risk with gorse to the left too, and the bunkers representing a one-and-a-half-shot penalty. A brilliant design again, it is almost necessary for players to be level with the bunkers or just short to see the green and have a reasonable angle to the hole. Like the 13th, the 14th green has a mound short that impairs vision and makes it appear as if there is no room left, when once more there is. From the fairway, right appears the safe miss, however there is a steep run-off area on that side, making a play to the back left of the green the percentage play. The green slopes lightly and again is tricky to read. A superb Championship hole.

The 15th hole, previously the 16th hole in past Opens, has been significantly lengthened since Rory McIlroy's triumph in 2014, which included an iconic eagle on day three. In 2023 the hole will play over 600 yards, and if the wind is into the players' faces, the hole can become quite intimidating in its length, particularly from the tee. With the prevailing wind, however, players can take a significant portion of length away from the hole by attempting to carry over a portion of bunkers to the right. Finding a bunker makes par a tough ask, but hitting the fairway certainly brings birdie into the equation. A lay-up is almost more difficult in some instances than going for the green, with a tight portion of fairway in the ideal wedge spot and a bunker lying in wait to the left. If they can reach, most players will have a go at the green, or play an aggressive lay-up to the right 60 yards short of the green. A number of bunkers line the left of the green and entry from right is the ideal angle, again suiting a player who can shape the ball right to left if having a crack from the fairway. The green is fairly difficult to putt on, with subtle slopes proving difficult at times. Nevertheless, this still provides a good birdie chance, barring a stiff headwind, as the players prepare to play the last three holes.

A long hole that can play even longer than its usual yardage, many players will lay back short of fairway bunkers on both sides and leave themselves well over 200 yards into the green. The green suits a running shot and welcomes low ball flights that enter through the mouth of the green, with bunkers left and right. However, a cross bunker 50 yards short can come into play if entering the green from the wrong angle. The surface itself is very big, and requires deft touch to navigate successfully. Into a stiff breeze, this is a very strong par-4 and requires the utmost of respect from the players.

The new hole on the course is one everybody will be talking about come July. At just 140 or so yards, 'Little Eye', Hoylake's newest hole, is a simply stunning creation, with an infinity green on a par-3 that plays directly out towards the ocean and Wales, which is just a few miles away. The green is raised above the player significantly. The sea of bunkers and huge fall-off areas to all sides, including all the way to the green, provide a striking scene and mean it is absolutely essential to hit the green, as any miss will leave a devilishly difficult up and down. Once on the green, the undulations are considerable and making putts is not easy, nor is finding the right location with the tee shot. The views are stunning and the setting is dramatic. The leader of The Open in July will be very happy to walk off the 17th with a three, particularly if the wind is blowing.

After navigating the 17th hole, the leader of The Open come Sunday 23 July will face a long walk toward the 18th tee, pondering the shot coming up the whole time, and it is no easy one. The 18th hole at Royal Liverpool, the members' 16th, has seen two incredible Champions since its introduction as the closing hole in The Open's routing. Tiger Woods claimed an emotional victory on the final green in 2006, while McIlroy secured his first and only Open to date in 2014 to a huge ovation around the surface. With significant changes in 2023, the hole will almost certainly produce even more drama this time round, and the potential Champion will have to produce a nerveless tee shot to help them on the way to victory. A remarkably intimidating opening stroke now awaits, as the Championship tee has been moved back around 50 yards and significantly further right, while the out of bounds down the right-hand side has ominously been moved 20 yards further left. The fairway now appears just a handful of yards wide from the tee, particularly with a necessary carry of 240 yards to reach the fairway and dangerous bunkers down the left. A brave tee shot is required, however, if players have any ambitions of a closing eagle, as with the additional length, the out of bounds is more in play for the second shot too as the hole curves to the right. On the approach, numerous bunkers surround the green, with the three on the left particularly likely to come into play for those bailing out to the left. This is a simply fantastic finishing hole that could produce double bogeys as easily as eagles.