Grand National

Few place names carry more weight in British sporting culture than Liverpool, and the city's golfing landscape reflects the same fierce civic pride that defines it. Merseyside sits at the heart of one of England's great golfing corridors, flanked by the Lancashire and Cheshire coastlines where links golf has been played seriously for well over a century. The region claims some of the most celebrated courses in the world among its near neighbours, and local golfers tend to know their game.

A par of 74 is a genuine rarity in modern golf — a number that quietly signals this course isn't trying to fit a standardised mould. Whether that reflects a layout that leans on length, a pair of par 5s where most designers would have settled for 4s, or something altogether more idiosyncratic, it gives Grand National a distinct identity on paper before a club is even swung.

The name itself suggests ambition, borrowing from the most famous horse race run just a few miles from here at Aintree. Whatever the course delivers, it arrives with that backdrop — a city that takes its sport seriously and a landscape with real character to spare.