I was able to take advantage of a great golf green fee deal yesterday at Rudding Park GC near Harrogate. Until the end of March they have a £40 fourball deal which is superb vfm (value for money!).
The course runs through the park overlooked by the Regency house and for the time of year was in very good condition. Despite some heavy rainfall recently the fairways were quite firm and running and greens very receptive.
You can see more of the complex here www.ruddingpark.com and view the new 6 hole par 3 course that opens in April with a Sawgrass style signature hole.
For details of many Great Golf Green Fee Deals
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I quite often play at one of the best municipal golf courses in West Yorkshire at Temple Newsam, Leeds.There are 2 courses at Temple Newsam; The Lord Irwin and The Lady Dorothy courses built in 1923 and 1924 respectively. Designed by Alister MacKenzie on land earmarked, within the grounds of Temple Newsam House, by Leeds City Council for public recreation the courses quickly established a reputation as good tests of golf.
During the first two years the Lord Irwin course saw 25,000 rounds of golf played and such was it’s growing reputation it was shortlisted for the first ever Ryder Cup match to be held in Britain in 1929 ultimately played at Moortown GC.
Temple Newsam continued to be a prestigious golfing venue and 1933 Henry Cotton and Gene Sarazen played a challenge match over 36 holes with Cotton winning 4&3. In the same year Temple Newsam GC was again shortlisted for the Ryder Cup but missed out again, this time to Southort & Ainsdale GC.
The 1930’s saw a number of professional tournaments being held at Temple Newsam with many of the stars of the day competing including Ryder Cup players such as Dai Rees, Archie Compston, Percy Alliss and Abe Mitchell.
Over the years municipal golf has felt the squeeze of local authority budgets and it would not be unfair to say that Temple Newsam has not kept pace with the Moortowns and Southport & Ainsdales of the golfing world. Nevertheless, Temple still provides a good test of golf and the upkeep of the courses pay testimony to the skills of the Temple Newsam green keepers.The holes are varied and interesting and the views of the city from the high points of the courses unsurpassed.
Many golfers around Leeds will have started the game on one of the city’s municipal courses and its commitment to golf is to be applauded, the courses are well maintained and the green fees represent great value for money.
Through this post, therefore, it has been able to tie in themes of great golf green fee deals, famous golf course designers, urban golf and golf courses in West Yorkshire.
With linking skills like that I feel a job as a TV presenter beckons
It was at one of the most prestigious golf courses in West Yorkshire that I witnessed one of the most exciting things I have ever seen on a golf course. Moor Allerton GC, Leeds was the host for The Care Car Plan International tournament in May 1982 and a whole host of stars were playing including the winners of 22 major championships; Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Price, Tony Jacklin, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Ian Wosnam & Bob Charles.
I was in the gallery on the last day and was sitting in the grandstand at the back of the eighteenth green. (This is actually the 27th hole of the complex).
The hole measures 568 yards from the Championship tees, a long Par 5 with a large water hazard in a hollow just before a raised, undulating, bunker surrounded green.
Most players gave the hole the respect it deserves and laid up short of the water relying on a good pitch to give them a birdie opportunity but Seve Ballesteros came to the eighteenth needing an eagle three to tie the leader, Brian Waites.
As he stood for an age, consulting a yardage chart, surveying his second shot with his caddie I was able to watch with binoculars, as other spectators around the green were doing. An excited ripple went round the crowd as Seve pulled out a 3 wood signalling his intent to go for the green. As he ripped into the shot I watched through the lenses, the ball soared into the air and for all the world looked as though it was going to land in my lap! I tracked the flight of the ball as it reached the apex of it’s flight and dropped towards the green below. The ball pitched on the front and rolled back agonisingly slowly down the slope towards the water.
I cannot remember whether Seve’s ball went into the hazard or not and it doesn’t matter, the drama was all about that second shot.
Eventually he finished 4th in the tournament, 2 shots behind Waites, but the suspense of the moment and the spirit to go for such a spectacular shot will stay with me forever. Of course Seve Ballesteros had more than his fair share of skirmishes with water hazards in his career notably at Augusta in 1986 but I will always remember when the most exciting golfer in the world visited Moor Allerton GC and put golf courses in West Yorkshire back on the international stage.
Whilst mooching around the web as you do I came across the most spectacular golf hole you can imagine.
Fancy playing an 908 yds (830 metres) par 3?
You tee off from the top of a mountain and have to take a helicopter to and from the tee!!!
Your shot takes 25 seconds to reach the ground, plenty of time for you to watch it’s flight via 4 cameras and tracking equipment.
That’s a hole I wouldn’t mind playing 3 off the tee on!
The hole is the Legend Golf & Safari Resort’s “Xtreme 19th” being constructed in the Entabeni Big Five game reserve, South Africa. The green is actually to be shaped like Africa and should you get the ultimate hole-in-one you will win US $1 Million.
At 2500 rand approx (£163 or $321) it’s still a great golf green fee deal!
Since my original post on the spectacular Xtreme 19th the rest of the golf blogging world has discovered the hole. Legend Lodges have also been seriously promoting their attraction.
See below 3 time Major winner Padraig Harrington and Raphael Jacquelin tackle the hole!
