2-fore!-1 Golf in England: Yorkshire
29 Courses in North Yorkshire, Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Bingley , North Yorkshire , East Riding of Yokshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire & Humberside, East Yorkshire
Yorkshire is the largest county in the UK and even North Yorkshire alone is larger than any English county. Yorkshire reaches from the North Sea coast to the Pennine Hills, with the River Tees forming the northern boundary and the Humber Estuary and the rivers Sheaf and Don bordering the south. Nicknamed "God's Own County", Yorkshire is among the greenest in England. Here are still untamed moors and rustic dales, nature reserves and National Parks, as well as designated Areas of Outstanding Beauty and designated Heritage Coast sites.
For the ardent golfer, this means that you have a generous range of golf courses and settings to choose from, nearly 200 in all, across the Yorkshire county. Whether you prefer moorland, heathland or parkland golf settings, or whether classic links style golf courses or cliff-top climbs with panoramic views are your preference, all are available. As well, if you prefer to stay in or near a city, a good variety of golf courses can be found rapidly, within easy traveling distance.
The oldest golf course in Yorkshire is Cleveland, established in 1887, followed by Beverley and East Riding Golf Club in 1889, Ilkley Golf Club in 1890 and Ganton, then Scarborough Golf Club, in 1891. The Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs formed in 1894. Three Yorkshire golf courses have hosted the Ryder Cup: Ganton, Moortown and Lindrick. Another outstanding and multi-award winning course is Alwoodley, near Leeds.
Three of the Best
Ganton Golf Club
Located in the Vale of Pickering between Vale and Scarborough, Ganton Golf Club is one of the very finest inland courses in the UK. The club opened in 1891, originally as the Scarborough Golf Club. The club has hosted many professional and amateur tournaments, including the Curtis Cup, the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup and the Amateur Championship. Only nine miles from the ocean, the site was once part of the North Sea, and the base soil is sandy and firm, free-draining, and playable in excellent condition nearly all the time. This means that Ganton Golf Club provides some of the best qualities of both a links and a heathland course. Apart from the firm, sometimes luxurious fairways and the velvet greens, a standout feature of the Ganton golf course is the bunkering. There are more than 100 bunkers, including some that are rightly described as cavernous and one that curves halfway round the green. And, the club itself: traditional, gracious, charming, hospitable and welcoming.
Alwoodley Golf Club
Just outside of Leeds is another World Top 100 Golf Course, this being Alwoodley, which formed in 1907. Alwoodley Golf Club is most usually noted for being the first course designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, who's designs include the home of the Masters, the Augusta National. Alwoodley is a naturally rolling heathland course with delightfully springy turf fairways, lined with picturesque, though hazardous, bursts of heather, gorse and whin. The course is 6,900 yards and is maintained in near perfect condition all year round.
Lindrick Golf Club
Lindrick Golf Club, in South Yorkshire near Sheffield, was founded in 1891, initially as the Sheffield and District Golf Club. It was first a nine hole course, then grew to 18 holes three years later. Alister MacKenzie apparently worked on the course layout also, designing several of the holes that are still in use now. The club extends over 22 hectares (54 acres) and is a site of special scientific interest due to the diversity of limestone grassland. The course base ground, the heathland turf, is excellent to play on, the greens are fast and firm, and the immaculate fairways are often framed by silver birch trees, and explosions of gorse in bloom. In 1957 Lindrick Golf Club hosted the Ryder Cup, with Great Britain beating the US. They have also hosted the Curtis Cup, the British Masters and the Womens British Open, as well as a number of amateur championships. During 2016, various improvements are being made to a number of tees, bunkers and holes of this historic and much loved course.
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