I don’t just explore Europe- there is plenty to see and do in the UK itself!! I took a long weekend to explore the industrial north and squeeze in my first taste of Links golf.

I started with a half day in Manchester which is a very interesting city. It is the home to the National Football (read: soccer) museum and a vibrant, artsy/edgey city. I had a fabulous time walking around and exploring the local culture. Most of my time was spent in Liverpool and the surround areas.

Liverpool was great! I was a bit surprised at how much I liked it. Its very much a town with a strong art scene and very proud of their hometown boys, the Beatles! I stayed in an adorable B&B in the Georgian Quarter (details below but the perfect place to stay with fantastic hosts), between the two major Cathedral landmarks. The first, Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England’s Cathedral and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. It is the largest cathedral and religious building in Britain and really a gorgeous site to see! I had a view of it through our window and is absolutely gorgeous at night when it is all lit! The second, Catholic Cathedral, is more modern in architecture. This is the Roman Catholic Cathedral and is situated approximately half a mile to the north. The cathedrals are linked by Hope Street and is also the home to the Philharmonic Hall. Also on Hope Street is the interesting sculpture “A Case History” by John King. Various items of luggage, cast in concrete, are stacked on the pavement – the labels on the suitcases refer to notable individuals and institutions linked with the local area (ex: John Lennon).

Walking a bit further into the city there are many other interesting areas such as the recently renovated downtown and waterfront. There is also a vibrant China Town, home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe and the largest Chinese Arch outside of China. The downtown is filled with walkable streets with live music, especially on Mathew Street which is the home of the Beatles – where they got their start at the Cavern Club! The waterfront has also recently been re-done and is now home to the Liverpool Museum, the Music Museum and the most famous statue of the Beatles. I’d love to go back and explore the town more, but we were quite focused on our golf trips!

I played three Open Championship Course on this trip. The first was Royal Liverpool, or Hoylake, made famous by Champions Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. This course was absolutely ruggedly beautiful and our first taste of the links style golf courses. It was founded in 1869 on what was then the racecourse of the Liverpool Hunt Club and is set to host the Open Championship again in 2022.

Royal Lytham and St. Annes was the second stop on the Open Championship course tour! It is renowned as a hard-to-scramble course and definitely lives up to that reputation. There are 167 bunkers peppering the fairways and surrounding the greens! This course has hosted 11 British Opens with winners including Gary Player, Ernie Els, Seve Ballesteros and also my all-time favorite Women’s Open Champion- Annika Sorenstam. There is plaque in the fairway that commemorates a great shot by Bobby Jones which our caddie made sure to point out!

Lastly, my favorite, was Royal Birkdale. Its hosted more Championship events since World War 2 than any other course in the world, including Open Championships and Ryder Cups, and now the DeBolds. Champions here include Arnold Palmer, Jordan Spieth and Tom Watson. Arnie has a plaque commemorating his win on the course as well, and golf fans will remember the incredible recovering from Jordan Spieth to beat out Matt Kuchar for his title.

At all three, it was absolutely incredible to see the history and legacy in the clubhouses. There was memorabilia decorating the inside including some incredible scorecards, clubs, trophies and photos!

I already cannot wait to go back!!

-MAL

Hotel:

• Liverpool: Blackburne Terrace- beautiful, amazing B&B in the Georgian Quarter! Perfect location, 10 minutes walking to city center and 20 to the waterfront. Incredible hosts (Glen and Sarah) who provide homemade chocolates, tea and gin on arrival and cook amazing breakfast on demand each morning.
• Manchester:  Cow Hollow Hotel – very hip, modern boutique hotel. Loved it! 5-10 walking minutes to either train station and 5-10 to the city center. This is in the Northern Quarter where many of the cool bars and restaurants are located.

Restaurants:

• Manchester
  • The Fitzgerald
  • Affleck & Brown
  • Cane & Grain
  • The Bay Horse Tavern
• Liverpool
  • The Quarter
  • The Italian Club Fish
  • The Philharmonic Dining Room

Sites:

• National Football Museum (Manchester)
• Mathews Street (Liverpool)
• Chinese Arch (Liverpool)
• Everyman Theatre (Liverpool)
• Catholic Cathedral and Liverpool Cathedral (Liverpool)
• Waterfront/Beatles Statue (Liverpool)