In Volume 1 of The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Tom Doak writes that.

“Formby is a distinguished layout with an interesting variety of terrain – railside, heathland, pine tree, and true links – crammed into a small package. Three holes closer to the beach were lost in the late 1970’s due to coastal flooding, and had to be replaced inland, but the course did not miss a beat in its ability to challenge the best amateurs. There are good holes all over, but it’s the stretch of two-shotters in the middle of the back nine, looked over by the famous Formby pines, that I think of first whenever I hear its name.”

Formby received a score of 7 out of 10 from Tom Doak and one of his co-authors, and a 6 from Planet Golf’s Darius Oliver