Royal Birkdale Golf Club

There are few seaside links in the world that can be described as great, but Royal Birkdale, with its expanse of towering sandhills and willow scrubs, is one of them. There have been some changes since the club (designed by George Lowe) was founded in 1889 and they have hosted everything that matters here, including the Open and the Ryder Cup. Some changes have been made since Arnold Palmer hit the wondrous recovery shot that helped him win the Open in 1961 and led to a plaque being erected to mark the spot from which the divot was taken. Well-bunkered, the sand hills run along the edges of the fairways and make ideal platforms from which to view the Open Championship.