Winter Open

Knott End Golf Course

Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England

Knott End Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-69 course measuring 5,960 yards, located at Knott End-on-Sea on the Lancashire coast, with a course rating of 68.9 and slope of 123. The club was founded in 1910 and the layout was designed by James Braid in 1921. The course divides clearly into two contrasting halves. The front nine runs alongside the River Wyre estuary, offering an open, near-links character with expansive views across the water towards Morecambe Bay and the Bowland Hills. Coastal wind is a constant factor on this half and can significantly alter the playing difficulty of otherwise straightforward holes. The back nine descends into a wooded valley with tree-lined fairways and a more sheltered, pastoral feel, providing a marked contrast in both character and conditions. The layout is well drained and generally forgiving off the tee, with wide fairways, though rough and the prevailing wind from the estuary add challenge on the outward nine. The course is considered accessible to a wide range of handicaps while still presenting a genuine test, particularly in windy conditions. The compact nature of the layout means some tees sit close to adjacent greens. The club has served as an Open Championship Final Qualifying venue on three occasions - in 1974, 1979, and 1988 - when The Open was held at nearby Royal Lytham & St Annes.