Since its beginning in 1906, the Club has been held in high regard for the challenge it posed for both elite amateur and professional golfer. As early as 1914, it hosted the Lancashire Amateur championship, going on to host it 9 times, most recently 2009.
It began hosting professional events in 1917, when J. H Taylor, Ted Ray and James Braid played an exhibition match to raise funds for the war effort to help wounded soldiers. This was the beginning of a long association with the professional game. The Club hosted many professional tournaments, in the formative years of what later became the European Tour. In the 1950’s it hosted the Dunlop 2000 Guineas tournament, one of the richest prizes in British golf.