Formby Golf Club

Formby Golf Club on the Merseyside coast was founded in 1884 as a nine-hole links played only in winter; Willie Park Jr. extended it to 18 holes around the turn of the century, and James Braid made changes in 1922. It has hosted the Amateur Championship four times and the 2004 Curtis Cup, and has served as an Open qualifying course. Its most famous qualifier came in July 1976, when Maurice Flitcroft, the crane driver later portrayed in the film The Phantom of the Open, shot 121. Playing in his three-ball was Jim Howard, the PGA's first Black member and the head professional at Pontypool, who was later consulted on the film.