First look: Royal Lytham & St Annes has been renovated and the new 11th hole looks sensational

Royal Lytham & St Annes is a special plot of golfing land.

On the one hand, it is a curiosity on the Open rota because you cannot see the sea from it – the property sits alongside the railway with housing all around.

But don’t let that fool you that this is not a true links or a magnificent test.

Of all the Open rota courses it distinguishes itself with the many bunkers that are in play and almost seem to suck in any stray or errant shots.

The greats have lifted the Claret Jug on this Lancastrian course: Bobby Jones in 1926, Bobby Locke and Peter Thomson in the 1950s, Bob Charles and Tony Jacklin in the 1960s, Gary Player in 1974, Seve Ballesteros in 1979 and 1988, Tom Lehman in 1996, David Duval in 2001, and Ernie Els in 2012.

It’s a roll of honour that tells you much about the need for supreme ball striking, the ability to understand playing in the wind, and a wonderful short game.

The course is famed for its unusual par-3 1st hole, but also the magical five holes that follow to make up the first half dozen.

The par-3 12th was said, by Jack Nicklaus, to be among the toughest short holes in golf. It is followed by five par-4s that test the resolve of any golfer who takes them on. They tack across the course before heading up 18 towards the famous old clubhouse.

But at the far end of the course, around the turn, there have been changes.

Last week’s Lytham Trophy was won by the Frenchman Hugo Le Goff in sensational style. He carded a final round 66 over two-and-a-half hours before the pre-final round leaders and everyone else failed to match his clubhouse target.

But the championship was also the first reveal of those renovations which might prove vital to the club’s chances of hosting another Open – and Golf365 was the only media there to take photos of those changes.

Club secretary Richard Cutler said: “The changes were centred around moving the par-5 11th hole to create space for a new major championship practice area.”

That has long been deemed a problem with the course in terms of hosting an Open – there is limited space and an Open demands vast spectators villages, hospitality venues, media and player structures, and practice facilities.

In walking the course in the past most would have struggled to see where space could be created – the new plan has done a terrific job.

The par-5 7th and par-5 12th always travelled in opposite directions but whereas there used to be thick gorse and bush between them it was now been cleared. That has allowed for the dunes to be revealed which will provide vital free flow of spectators.

Bizarrely, ‘Big’ Sam Allardyce can help us out here. His friend was out on the course and showed us this photo to demonstrate how that gorse and bush (over Sam’s right shoulder) has disappeared. Thank you, Sam, for responding on WhatsApp to say we could use the photo!

The 7th has also had a big mound to the right of the putting surface removed, with the green moved to the right. It’s now a smaller target for the long hole.

Then we come to the big change.

Instead of being a dog leg around that removed bush, the 11th now sits parallel to No.7, but playing to the original green. That has created space where the old fairway sat and more gorse was removed.

This overhead map explains. The red is the new fairway, the orange the driving range and practice area.

Our photo from the new 11th tee is not the best – it was difficult to capture the reality. But you can see that the new hole is straight, see the work taking place on the old fairway, and perhaps see that the new hole looks wonderful.

The old hole was very flat and had a touch of parkland about it. This new hole looks glorious but it also sits into the linksland like it’s always been there.

There are other changes. The short 8th caught a lot of handicap golfers out. They would spray tee shots onto the railway line and into houses. Mounding and two new bunkers on the right have created a visual which takes that feeling away off the tee.

It also makes the tee shot for the elite golfers a more interesting prospect. The safe lay up leaves a longer approach to the high green.

And then there is the par-4 10th. It had a large mound on the left which has been removed to create a sandy waste area that provides a visual, but fairway has been narrowed and the test is tougher from the tee.

The elite golfers were going left far more often than is typical at a Lytham Trophy.

All in all, the changes were getting rave reviews. Perhaps the two weakest holes on the course – 8 and 11 – are now as strong as the other 16.

Royal Lytham & St Annes is ready for next year’s AIG Women’s Open – and maybe for an Open in the future.

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