Fylde lies in the south of Lancashire and this area is full of art galleries, museums, historic houses and literary connections.

Home to Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club Fylde is also home to Britain’s most popular seaside resort, Blackpool, with its legendary Pleasure Beach and iconic Blackpool Tower and Circus.

Lytham and St Annes are two distinct Victorian resort towns on the magnificent Fylde Coast. Tree-lined Lytham, enjoys a sophisticated atmosphere with bustling pavement cafes, chic wine bars, traditional pubs, stylish restaurants and designer boutiques. Lytham Hall is one of the finest example of Georgian architecture in England’s Northwest as well as having 80 acres of woodland and gardens to explore.

St Annes-on-Sea offers traditional seaside attractions with its Victorian Porritt buildings and historic pier whilst the surrounding countryside provides excellent opportunities for walking and cycling.

The golf courses of St Annes Old Links, Fairhaven, Lytham Green Drive and Royal Lytham & St Annes are all situated within this area.
This area is very accessible by road and rail but is also home to Blackpool International Airport, which flies to the majority of mainland Europe. Within a short drive are the major airports of Liverpool and Manchester flying to most Worldwide destinations.

Nestling between two busy seaside resorts, the Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Course is one of the most unique courses in the rotation of the British Open. It is a links in every sense of the word, with sandy soil and the wind blowing in from the Irish Sea. Open to the elements, the trees on the course permanently lean sideways, with the wind often proving a formidable competitor in the homeward five holes of the course.

Unusually, the course is set amongst a Victorian housing estate, and occupies a limited piece of land, with red-brick houses in plain view. Located nearby is the St. Annes train station with the railway line running adjacent to the first nine holes of the course.

1926 was a significant year for the club, not only did it host its first Open, but King George V gave his approval by adding the word 'Royal' to the club's title just in time for the championship to start. The legendary American, Bobby Jones, won the 1926 Open, one of the most talented and successful amateur golfers of all time. Trailing a fellow American with only five holes to play, Jones played one of the toughest five-hole finishes in British golf to take his first title.

He was to go on to win the Open twice more and also claim the amateur title. Despite their domination of the game, it wasn't until 1996 that another American took the Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in the shape of Tom Lehman, breaking the course record of 65 in the third round. He went on to describe his final round of 73 as "not pretty, but gritty". It was enough to keep him two shots ahead of the rest.

The course is well designed, with holes to test every level of player. It opens with a Par 3, the only major championship course to do so. The first four holes and last five are said to be amongst the trickiest in Britain, but some respite is offered in between where everyone can hope to emulate Seve Ballesteros' five birdies and an eagle in this stretch on his way to winning the 1979 Open, this is a chance to put some lower scores on your card.

Holes 16 to 18 have produced some of the most memorable moments in major championship history; the 16th is the scene of Seve's famous 'car park' shot. Standing behind the 18th green, the grand Victorian clubhouse, with its oak-paneled dining room, offers a haven from the elements. The Clubhouse really is a place to soak up history of previous championships and admire the skill of the past and present golfing heroes.

Fairhaven Golf Club is a relatively unsung course compared to some of its more illustrious neighbours but is definitely a championship quality venue - and an entertaining one at that.

Fairhaven is not quite a traditional links course, although it does benefit from a sand sub-soil base that permits year-round golf. Originally designed by JA Steer & J Braid and further improved by Donald Steel. The strategically placed riveted bunkers provide a great test, bringing the risk and reward shot to the forefront of players' course management.

Fairhaven is what its name suggests - there are no gimmicky or trick holes here - but at the same time it will test every department of any golfer's game. That's why it has hosted many prestigious tournaments since it was opened in 1923, including Open Qualifying when the Open Championship is held at nearby Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

It has also received the accolade of being named one of "The Best 10 'Open Championship' Qualifying Courses" in a leading UK golf magazine. Incidentally, the professionals' course record of 64 was achieved by Justin Leonard in 1996, while he was playing in and leading the final qualifying rounds.

Fairhaven's greens are generally flat, so the priority is to avoid the hazards including the course's 117 separate bunkers. The par-4 4th hole, measuring 451 yards, is the toughest on the course especially with a fairway bunker and thick pines situated at driving distance before you hit your long approach to a green surrounded by bunkers.

If you're a long hitter you'll love this 6,883-yard course, as there are six par-5s and three in the last four holes.

There'll be nothing to distract you from a good score either as peace and tranquility is one of the course's hallmarks - you won't see one road or house from the course.

Founded in 1901, St. Annes Old Links is another of the fine championship links of England 's north-western coast. Having been forced to move from their original home due to encroaching building work, the club identified a barren, windswept stretch of Lancashire coast, comprising dunes, sand and wild grasses, which ultimately would provide a new and permanent home for St. Annes Old Links.

The club's first professional, George Lowe, was charged with the responsibility of designing the initial nine holes and thus, the foundations of a great links were laid. Membership blossomed quickly and the links hosted its first major event in 1919, when the English Ladies Amateur Championship was played here, and from 1926, the Open Championship has been held a number of times at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, this links has been used as an official qualifying venue for the Open.

The pure links character of St. Annes has changed little over the years, although building development is now surrounding most of the perimeter. Every hole has its own individual characteristics, with the 170-yard par three, 9th hole, which offers a narrow green, well guarded by bunkers, is probably best known.

Bobby Jones, in fact, when playing here in 1926, was so impressed with this hole that he reportedly took detailed measurements so that he could reproduce a hole of similar character in the United States. But while the 9th is probably the most talked about hole, with its immense 56-yard long green, others certainly provide a stiffer challenge.

The Mode Hotel offers first class modern bed and breakfast hotel accommodation. Situated on Lytham St. Anne's picturesque Victorian Promenade; all the local facilities are within easy walking distance. Blackpool’s famous attractions and bustling nightlife, along with the quiet sophisticated charms of Lytham, are close by. Mode is also conveniently situated for easy motorway and rail access and Blackpool Airport is only three miles away.

Mode Hotel serves a delicious continental breakfast. The food is locally sourced and a wide range of healthy options, including vegetarian choices, are available. Mode’s spacious lounge bar is ideal for relaxing or holding an informal meeting. The “honesty bar” policy enables you to enjoy the flexibility of meeting for a drink at your convenience.
Mode has 17 individually designed bedrooms all with a high standard stylish décor and quality furnishings, along with a state of the art TV, free Internet access and a luxury ensuite.

The Rooms Boutique Bed and Breakfast in Lytham has been voted one of the 12 finest B&Bs in Britain by The Times. Each of the rooms is furnished with all of the same luxuries as a top hotel. You also get to choose what you want for breakfast which will be concocted from some of finest ingredients around the UK.  ^