WHERE TO PLAY
Solway Coast’s Links gem
T HE LAKE DISTRICT IN the north of England is a world heritage site, and na- tional park attracting 20 million visitors a year. They are there to view and explore the lakes and moun- tains, so you will find few of them on the nearby Solway Coast, home to one of England’s loneliest links experiences. Its “out-of-the-way location” resonated with me, and I enjoyed driving there through narrow country lanes. Silloth on Solway Golf Club is a slip- pery name to utter quickly after a few pints in their bar. When true links afi- cionados mention Silloth, it is with awe and admiration. It may not be of mod- ern championship length to have host- ed a British Amateur, yet it is acclaimed as one of the 10 best links in England. It has plenty of return visitors. Anyone playing Silloth for the first time is en- tranced by the links, and often makes it an annual pilgrimage thereafter. It’s midway between Royal Birk- dale, where the Open is being played in July, and Edinburgh in Scotland, a drive of two hours 45 minutes in either direction. Returning to Silloth in 2025 after a long absence it was evident that noth- ing had materially changed, part of its alluring charm. The holes lie undis- turbed on the tranquil shore of the Sol- way Firth, and Scotland can be viewed across the water, an area known as Dumfries & Galloway. A stylish period clubhouse (1903) is squeezed in on a low ridge above the car park. A quiet seaside town in lightly pop- ulated Cumbria, you question why a links of such stature was built here. The answer has to do with the extension of railways in the 19th century and its relationship with golf before the inven- tion of the automobile. The North Brit- ish Railway Company founded the club
in 1892 while developing the town as a holiday resort. North Berwick professional Davie Grant laid out the original 18, and it’s fascinating to note the length of holes in that era of the gutty ball – 13 were 255 yards or less. Today, Silloth measures 6 056 metres from the back tees. I joined up with club secretary Alan Oliver, a PGA professional, whose knowledge of the layout proved invaluable in navi- gating me around with few mishaps. He pointed out design renovations on the par-5 fifth, an indication that it’s an evolving links, not a museum piece. What it's not is a links you can over- power; however short it may appear on the card. Rugged dunesland makes for quirky holes and blind shots, and the rough, plus gorse and heather, is fierce. Several holes are exposed to the wind, and the par 3s are a handful, as are some of the creative greens complexes which will perplex newcomers. It’s an out-and- back layout, yet the holes repeatedly change direction. The quirky qualities at Silloth are revealed on an unusual opening hole, seemingly a straightforward 4 yet with a green hidden in a hollow. You aim at a tall pole behind the green. A low ap- proach shot will race down a slope into the large sunken green, and getting the ball close to the pin can be a matter of chance. The front nine with its par of 35 can be forgiving if the wind is behind, but the road back home from the 11th is fraught with difficult challenges. One long hole after another, three par 5s. The 13th, Hogs Back, looks formidable with its green high in a dune, and is a suitable stroke 1. The 18th is a memora- ble 4, longest on the links at 400 metres. Silloth has been a favourite venue for women golfers for more than a cen- tury, due to the club’s connection with a
TOP 10 ENGLISH LINKS 1 Royal St George’s 2 Royal Birkdale 3 Royal Liverpool 4 Royal Cinque Ports 5 Royal Lytham & St Annes 6 St Enodoc 7 Rye 8 Formby 9 Royal West Norfolk 10 Silloth on Solway *2025 ranking by Golf World UK
106 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MAY 2026
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