Lytham St Annes, England · Links
11 major championships hosted since 1926
Established
1886
Designer
George Lowe; Herbert Fowler (redesign)
Par
70
Championship Yardage
7,086 yds
Royal Lytham & St Annes, tucked inland behind the Lancashire dunes and ringed by a railway line, is defined by its 200-plus bunkers — more than any other Open venue. Unusually, it opens with a par 3 and finishes with a brutal closing stretch.
Bobby Jones launched the venue's Open history with his 1926 win, and Seve Ballesteros made Lytham his own with victories in 1979 and 1988, the latter sealed with a closing 65.
Lowest scoring marks recorded in major championship competition at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Course Record (round)
63
Open rounds
Lowest 72-Hole Total
267 (−17)
Tom Lehman, 1996 (271, −13 record era)
First Major Hosted
1926
Total Majors Hosted
11
Every major championship staged at Royal Lytham & St Annes, by championship and year.
| Championship | Times | Years |
|---|---|---|
| The Open | 11 | 1926, 1952, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1988, 1996, 2001, 2012 |
Defining rounds and championship moments in the history of Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Bobby Jones hit a famous long iron from a sandy lie on the 17th to win the first Open at Lytham; a plaque marks the spot.
Tony Jacklin became the first British Open champion in 18 years, igniting a home golf boom.
Severiano Ballesteros won his first major, famously playing from a car park beside the 16th.
Tom Lehman became the first American professional to win at Lytham, posting 13-under 271.
Ernie Els won his second Open after Adam Scott bogeyed the last four holes.
Royal Lytham & St Annes has more than 200 bunkers, the most of any course on the Open rota.
Seve Ballesteros, who won two of his three Open titles there (1979 and 1988).
Lytham is one of the few championship courses that begins with a par 3, and it sits inland from the sea, bordered by a railway.