A remarkable piece of history surfaced in an unexpected way this week at one of golf’s most storied venues. Workers conducting routine maintenance at Royal Liverpool Golf Club– the famed links course in Hoylake, England that has hosted The Open Championship 13 times–uncovered an unexploded World War II-era artillery shell buried beneath the fairways.
The discovery prompted a temporary evacuation of the course and a controlled detonation by bomb disposal experts, underscoring how remnants of the past can unexpectedly intersect with modern sport.
Discovery During Routine Work
The extraordinary find occurred on December 12, when course staff were performing routine drainage work on the Royal Liverpool grounds. As they dug several feet below the surface, they unearthed what appeared to be an unexploded artillery shell, believed to date back to World War II.
Recognizing the potential danger, staff immediately alerted local authorities. Merseyside Police quickly responded to the scene to secure the area. Officials cordoned off the affected portion of the property and evacuated golfers and workers as a precaution while the situation was assessed.
“We’ve been undertaking some drainage work on the golf course and come across what looks to be like an unexploded artillery shell.,” Simon Newland, club secretary, said to media. “It’s very far down, about four or five foot under the playing surface, and one imagines it’s from the wartime.”
The discovery was unexpected, but not entirely unprecedented given the United Kingdom’s wartime history and the strategic importance of coastal regions like the Wirral Peninsula during the 1930s and ’40s.
Royal Liverpool’s Wartime Past Adds Context
Founded in 1869, Royal Liverpool stands as a testament to more than a century of British golf tradition. Over the decades, it has been the stage for some of the sport’s most memorable moments, from Tiger Woods’ dramatic Open win in 2006 to Rory McIlroy’s triumphant performance in 2014.
However, during World War II, the course’s coastal location in Hoylake placed it squarely within Britain’s defensive strategy, turning parts of the links into a fortified landscape rather than a sporting venue.
According to the club’s “Hoylake at War” history, radar equipment, searchlights, trenches, and barbed wire were installed across the property as fears of a German invasion grew. Minefields were laid throughout the sandhills, and military installations replaced fairways and greens, dramatically altering the course during the war years.
By 1944, as the threat diminished, Royal Engineers began clearing explosives and dismantling defenses–a process that caused lasting disruption beneath the surface. While the land was eventually restored and The Open returned in 1947, remnants of that era were never entirely erased.
Controlled Explosion Ensures Safety
Once on site, a specialized bomb disposal unit took over the situation. Given the condition and nature of the shell, the team determined the safest course of action was to conduct a controlled detonation on the course itself.
Videos and images briefly circulated on social media capturing the moment of the explosion, carried out with careful precision by trained professionals. No injuries were reported, and thanks to swift action and controlled measures, the historic links suffered minimal damage.
A statement shared on Royal Liverpool’s official channels said, “Following a successful controlled explosion carried out by specialists, the site was made safe, and we thank emergency services for their professionalism.”
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