Spectacular new hole to be created for Open Championship venue

A number of significant changes, including the creation of a brand-new hole, are set to be made to the Hoylake course ahead of it staging the Open Championship in 2022.
The stunning new par-3 17th hole at Royal Liverpool is taking shape in the build up to the 2022 Open Championship at the Hoylake venueThe stunning new par-3 17th hole at Royal Liverpool is taking shape in the build up to the 2022 Open Championship at the Hoylake venue
The stunning new par-3 17th hole at Royal Liverpool is taking shape in the build up to the 2022 Open Championship at the Hoylake venue

Five alterations have been confirmed by Royal Liverpool Golf Club following "close consultation" with the R&A and one of the game's top course designers, Martin Ebert.

The changes are being made to make the Wirral course a "future friendly" Open Championship venue.

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The most significant change will see the creation of a new par-3 hole of just 139 yards with a green located approximately on the same site as the current 15th tee.

This will become the 17th hole, with players hitting to an elevated green looking out to the Dee Estuary.

Through the routing change, the par-5 18th hole will have two new tees added to produce a hole measuring 607 yards.

The other changes involve the front of the fourth green being raised to produce a flatter landing area; the seventh green being moved to the left of its current location to open the way for a new tee complex at the eighth; and a new run-off at the 13th green.

“Royal Liverpool is one of the world’s finest championship links," said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at the R&A.

"We enjoyed two outstanding Opens there in 2006 and 2014 when Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy respectively lifted the Claret Jug.

“We are very much looking forward to returning to Hoylake for The Open in 2022 and the enhancements being made to the 17th and 18th holes will help to produce a thrilling and dramatic climax to the Championship for players and spectators.

“We are particularly excited about the introduction of the new par 3 where the elevated green will be set back against the Dee estuary to create a spectacular penultimate hole for the Championship.

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Ebert, who also carried out changes at Royal Portrush ahead of the Open's long-awaited return to the Antrim venue last year, added: “The project at Royal Liverpool has been an extremely exciting one overall, but the opportunity to create a new hole on a great links such as Hoylake is a rare one.

"The hope and expectation is that not only can a very short hole produce significant drama for the penultimate hole of The Open, but also provide the club with a hole which members and visiting golfers from around the world will be hugely excited to play.

"It is also a real advantage of the new hole project that the championship 15th and 18th par 5 holes will be strengthened with new back tees.”

Work on the alterations began soon after the club hosted the Walker Cup last September.

Royal Liverpool’s Chairman of Green, Andrew Goodwin, said: “The decision to make changes to a course like Hoylake wasn’t taken lightly, but throughout the club’s 150-year history alterations have been made and Royal Liverpool has continued to evolve and improve, ensuring it remains a wonderful challenge for both amateur and elite professional golfers alike.

"The first, and largest, phase of works is almost complete and there will be some mild disruption for members and visitors until June 2020. The second phase will begin in autumn 2020, largely focused on off-course alterations."

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