In my recent articles and posts I have made reference to many excellent golf courses and their designers/architects.
Good golf course designers offer a number of ways to play the course and individual holes that force the golfer to think about how to play them.
I came across a very interesting golf instruction video that makes reference to this.
Golf course architects use a “risk & reward” philosophy when designing a golf hole i.e if a golfer takes a risk with a shot and executes it well then he/she is “rewarded” with an easier next shot. BUT if, by taking that risk they do not execute it properly then they face a difficult next shot or may even be in a hazard and face penalty shots.
Often the designer will have incorporated “illusions” in the hole to make the golfer think. For example layered bunkering to give the impression of the hole being very narrow.
Therefore, it is important to work out a strategy to play the hole and the video shows you how by working backwards from the green.
The golf courses in West Yorkshire are numerous and varied with many famous courses in the area designed by famous golf course architects, Alister MacKenzie in particular but Harry Colt and Robert Trent Jones Snr have examples of their work in the area.
Leeds, perhaps, has more than it’s fair share of the good golf courses in West Yorkshire with a healthy concentration in the north of the city. The close proximity of Alwoodley, Moortown, Moor Allerton, Sand Moor, Headingley and Scarcroft ensure that even the most demanding of golfing connoisseurs is catered for.
There are, though, many unsung golf courses in West Yorkshire that don’t always get their deserved exposure.
Harry Colt and Alister MacKenzie were involved again in the design of Ilkey GC a beautiful layout with the River Wharfe in play on the left of the first 7 holes. Golfers with a hook beware!
The club is particularly proud with it’s connection with Ryder Cup star Colin Montgomerie who grew up in the area and learnt his golf at Ilkley.
MacKenzie was involved in another good golf course in West Yorkshire at Bingley St Ives where the courses varies between parkland, woodland, moorland and back again as it examines your full golf game. Formerly a municipal golf course, Bingley St Ives hosted the Lawrence Batley International tournament in 1981, 1982 & 1983 won by Sandy Lyle (twice) and Nick Faldo and attracted other top stars like Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino.
The club became a private members club in 1990.
James Braid is another designer who has made his mark on golf courses in West Yorkshire. An excellent layout of his can be played on the exposed to the elements course of Baildon GC high up on the moorlands. Collaborating with Tom Morris on this design, they created an uncompromising golf course that rewards straight hitting. An equally spectacular setting is the Halifax GC up on the moors near Ogden reservoir. This time teaming up with Alex Herd, Braid created a course where every hole is different and one that demands creative shot making as the wind plays an integral part in the golfing examination.
Equally exposed is the moorland Branshaw GC, situated in Bronte country, James Braid again used the natural terrain and elements to fashion a golf course to test the best.
The views from these three moorland layouts are truly breathtaking as the full majesty of the West Yorkshire landscape is opened to the eye.
Braid was involved in designing the less rugged but no less interesting golf course at Northcliffe GC near Shipley. This time he teamed up with Harry Vardon to create a very interesting course with some attractive yet benign holes balanced with some brutes. Again this course tests all of your game, you need strength and finesse, creativity and pragmatism to score well at Northcliffe.
Any guide to golf courses in West Yorkshire must include the duo of Huddersfield GC and Woodsome Hall. Fixby Hall is the magnificent clubhouse of Huddersfield GC that hosts an equally good golf course. The first nine is gentler on the legs as it winds in a loop through parkland back to the clubhouse but the hillier back nine tests stamina to the finish. An old established club Fixby numbers a Who’s Who of architects and designers that have had an influence over the years, including Tom Dunn, Alex Herd, W Herbert Fowler, Dr Alister MacKenzie, Hawtree and Donald Steel. And as recently as 2004 spent half a million pounds on upgrading all 18 greens to USGA specifications.
Woodsome Hall GC has a magnificent clubhouse of it’s own dating back to the 16th Century and the course is laid out in the estate of the hall. The first tee is from the lawns of the hall giving a wonderful backdrop to the opening shot of the round. The course is not excessively long but quite hilly placing a premium on accurate shot making in order to build a good score.
There are over 80 golf courses in West Yorkshire and all offer their unique challenges. With it’s excellent network of roads the densely populated urban areas soon open out into golfing country where you are sure to find a golf course to your taste.
This is an article I have written about the varied golf available in the county of
West Yorkshire, you are free to use the article on your websites but only in it’s entirety, providing I am credited as the author and the link to my website is maintained .
Essex golf courses showcase the talents of many of the UK’s foremost golf course architects, James Braid, Harry Colt and Sir Henry Cotton in particular have been busy in the county with courses blending into their natural surroundings and reflecting the styles of the ages.
Braintree GC was founded near Stisted Hall during the golf boom of the late 19th Century and North Weald GC during a period of golf expansion a hundred years later yet both offer variety and a good test of golfing ability.
Channels GC is a fine example of Henry Cotton’s ingenuity as it’s built on land reclaimed from gravel workings and though it’s a relatively modern Essex golf course, founded 1974, it boasts a 14th Century clubhouse. Cotton was also busy in Essex when called upon to oversee the design at Abridge Golf & Country club when they were forced to move to a third location.
All the architects, however, have had a head start with the lie of the land in the county with it’s gently undulating landscape and mild dry climate lending itself to their creativity. James Braid was able fashion a links-like course at Orsett GC that often acts as an Open qualifier course.
Essex, however, has a significant coastline so courses like Clacton-On-Sea GC are exposed to the elements behind the sea wall.
Royal Epping Forest GC is of particular interest to visitors of golf courses in Essex because it has very unusual rule. In 1894 Forest Bye Laws made it compulsory for every golfer is required to wear red outer garments presumably because the course is laid out on public land.
Many golf courses in Essex were affected during World War II when their fairways were dug up to deter enemy troop carrying aircraft from landing an invasion force, however golf went on with many courses introducing local rules to cope with wartime circumstances. Chelmsford GC were forced to declare that ‘a ball moved by enemy action may be replaced as near as possible to where it lay, or if lost or destroyed, a ball may be dropped, not nearer the hole without penalty’.
Thorpe Hall GC, original club of the former R&A Secretary Sir Michael Bonallack had it’s fairways dug up but fortunately the Elizabethan clubhouse was unaffected and the James Braid designed course at Colchester GC was requisitioned as a military training camp. Interestingly Essex Golf & Country Club was constructed on the site of a former WWII airfield.
The Essex Golf Union lists 79 members so visitors to the area are sure to find many top quality and varied golf courses in Essex.
This is an article I have written about the varied golf available in the county of Essex, you are free to use the article on your websites but only in it’s entirety, providing I am credited as the author and the link to my website is maintained .
One of the most enjoyable days golf I have had was a few years ago at Easingwold GC.
The day was planned around an evening meeting at Ripon Races and it turned out to be a glorious days sport because it was on the same day Liverpool beat AC Milan in The Champions League Final. As you will remember Liverpool came from 3-0 down to win on penalties.
The race course had the match live on giant screens and as you can imagine the atmosphere was incredible.
As a golf trip theme this is a fantastic idea and whilst I cannot guarantee a cup final to watch most UK racecourses have evening meetings in the Summer and many of the local golf clubs tie into them with special deals.
A list of racecourses can be found here www.race-courses.co.uk/racecourses.php why not check out a meeting near you and arrange a days golf around the date?
