This course is unusually flat, offering little in the way of definition; three sides of the course are bordered by houses with the Dee Estuary lying on the western side. However, despite its somewhat flat and benign appearance, Royal Liverpool Golf Club is among the toughest and most demanding of the great seaside championship links of Britain.

The holes alongside the shore (9th, 10th, 11th and 12th) are the most visually appealing and very challenging. Only a couple of holes are in the dunes, otherwise there is little protection from the ever-changing wind. There is nothing artificial about the course, it represents a traditional, genuine test of golf and will examine the very best players.

If there is a criticism, it is the severe punishment for anyone with a tendency to pull or hook, which invariably ends with a ball out of bounds or at the very least in deep rough. Conversely those with a tendency to fade are treated sympathetically, with the ball often in play with reasonable 2nd shots to the fairway or even the green.

The greens have some very severe slopes, so beware of the temptation to rake a greenside bunker before the ball has come completely to rest.