Danny Lockwood visits Bedale Golf Club
A golf club with a long and proud history stretching back more than 130 years, it is fair to say that time has never quite stood still for Bedale Golf Club, and the members not only keep its heritage alive but moving distinctly forward.
With good reason, the club embraces its sobriquet as Gateway to the Dales, lying quietly just two miles from the bustling A1M on the edge of the delightful market town at the eastern edge of Wensleydale. It is plain to see why the club is a popular stop-off point for golfers and groups heading north to the coastal courses of Northumberland or onwards to Scotland, or those heading south.
The club started with a nine-hole track founded by a group of nine local men in November 1894, on land roughly occupying today’s course. It first expanded in 1921 before moving to a new site off Firby Road, to the south of the town, in 1932. The club remained there until 1967 when it figuratively came home.
One constant between that 19th Century founding and today has been the close relationship with Bedale Hall’s Beresford-Peirse family. Sir Henry, the third Baronet Beresford-Peirse, owned the land the original course occupied and four generations of Sir Henrys later, the seventh baronet leases the club the majority of the impressive 18-hole layout.
Occupying what was once a delightful deer park, the course was able to stretch its legs to 6,580 yards when 30 acres of adjacent land was purchased in 1987, with Hawtree employed to reconfigure the course.
One important influence that cannot go unmentioned is that of fifth Baronet Sir Henry who – among other roles – was director general of the Forestry Commission. The parkland footprint hosts a stunning variety of trees including several specimens which still attract attention from botanists nationwide.
On the course, Bedale chairman Graham Lilley and the board have their eyes on continued improvements, including a programme for irrigating all the tee boxes. Bedale’s magnificent greens are a source of constant pride, notwithstanding the extremely dry summer of 2026.
Visitors never fail to be impressed, and investment in a borehole to provide water has never been more important than it has proved this summer.
Similarly, attention to detail is noticeable in the recently refurbished clubhouse, with its terrace offering stunning views overlooking the first and 18th holes.
Enjoying a post-round drink, chairman (and ex-treasurer and 2024 captain) Graham elaborates on the club’s ambitions. “We have an excellent membership of 550 – with a strong ladies’ base and a growing junior membership – a number which is pleasingly up from about 420 members before Covid. However, we still have scope to increase those numbers, and I’d like to do that purely to further invest in our course.”
Bedale is popular with returning parties and prides itself on the warm welcome all receive here. One initiative which has brought groups back repeatedly is the donation of a Bedale Trophy to any group of 24 or more visitors. The club, a member of the Harrogate union, has strong relationships with neighbouring military facilities at RAF Leeming and the Catterick army base. Along with Catterick and Richmond golf clubs, it also participates in the annual Dales Festival of Golf.
Bedale does a couple of things somewhat differently than many clubs. First, women can participate in the club’s medal competitions. Meanwhile, a very popular innovation can be found in what was previously the pro shop.
PGA professional Steve Pearce has been at Bedale man and boy, beginning his journey at the club as an assistant before moving across to Romanby, returning to Bedale 10 years ago. Although he doesn’t say it explicitly, it’s clear that Bedale’s swing studio is Steve’s pride and joy. Courtesy of a major funding grant, this is a swing studio par excellence. Equipped with the latest TrackMan technology and with no expense spared on its outfitting, golfers from neighbouring clubs and towns would no doubt flock to experience it, especially once the seasons begin to change.
“The studio is dedicated solely to Bedale members,” Steve explained. “What’s more, at just £10 per hour, I think we can safely say it’s a bit of a bargain, especially if four of you are enjoying one of the 400 courses that TrackMan offers access to. On a harsh winter’s day, some of our older members might struggle on the course, but this ensures they can keep swinging a club throughout the year.”
In addition, the studio ticks all the TrackMan boxes – whether you’re a solo golfer studying your game, a player receiving a lesson from Steve, or youngsters playing a variety of games. Members can also bring guests to use the studio.
When it comes to working on your game or warming up, you’ll find a putting green and driving nets in front of and alongside the clubhouse. Bedale also has two practice areas within the course itself.
There are plenty of changes in elevation across the three distinct areas of the layout, though it remains a walkable challenge. Several areas of internal out of bounds feature, without being too imposing, and water is in play on seven holes courtesy of ditches that traverse the course as well as a decorative pond on the first.
The holes are largely shaped by the avenues of mature trees which are thoughtfully managed in association with the Beresford-Peirse estate staff.
The short opening hole might give a false sense of security, but Bedale quickly bares its teeth with a demanding par five followed by back-to-back long par fours. Being out of position in the trees is punishment enough to make long rough redundant.
The course has a par of 37 going out, with a pair of par fives and a single par three which is played alongside the halfway house by the ninth green. Coming back, a pair of short holes and the par five 10th make for a 35-stroke return, and an overall par of 72.
You have to wait until the 13th for the signature hole, which is on the latterly acquired acreage, affording stunning country views towards Wensleydale. It is a manageable par four played from an elevated tee with a carry over an area of marsh to a generous fairway. You then head uphill to yet another of the stunning, and at times huge, greens.
On the greens, Graham added: “We are particularly proud of the quality of our greens and cannot praise the greenkeeping staff enough. As a golf club, we’re constantly focused on identifying and making improvements, and the bunkering will be a focus, along with the programme for getting irrigation to all the tees. That’s a major reason we’d like to increase membership numbers, with what we consider are some very competitive offers.”
BEDALE GOLF CLUB (YELLOW TEES)
1 – 260 yards, par 4, SI 17
A short, picturesque and driveable downhill par four, a pond lurks left at the first and anything right can be blocked out. The well-protected green slopes slightly from the front.
2 – 481 yards, par 5, SI 7
A sweeping left to righter, there’s danger all down the right side of the par five second, plus a ditch which comes back into play in the last third of the hole. Beware the small fairway bunker left too. The slightly tiered green features front left and right traps.
3 – 391 yards, par 4, SI 1
One of the toughest holes on the course, the drive at the third looks tight but it opens out into another sweeping left to right dogleg. The approach is played over a ditch some 40 yards short of a big oval green which slopes gently from back right to front left. There are no bunkers in play here.
4 – 407 yards, par 4, SI 3
Another tough, longer par four, the fourth is played parallel to the third and rises to the left. A short ditch shouldn’t come into play and there are no bunkers. The hole flattens out as you approach a huge green which gently slopes from back left to front right.
5 – 339 yards, par 4, SI 11
A shorter, dogleg left par four which is played downhill, positioning your tee shot is important at the fifth. The approach is played over a ditch to a slightly elevated green, with front and centre left bunkers protecting one of the flatter putting surfaces.
6 – 328 yards, par 4, SI 9
A pretty par four, the sixth features a fairway trap on the right side which must be avoided. The second shot is played uphill to a tucked away green with sand left and right. Managing your distances is key here.
7 – 477 yards, par 5, SI 13
Heading up onto what the members call the second field, the par five seventh is another sweeping left to righter which is played all uphill. The fairway slopes from the left, and you need to avoid a bunker some 100 yards short of the large, undulating green which is guarded by traps on both sides. The tiered green has a diagonal ridge running from front left to back right – just hope the greenkeeper was in a good mood when choosing the pin position!
8 – 430 yards, par 4, SI 5
A long par four played down a big avenue of trees, favour the right side of the eighth fairway before playing into one of the flatter greens, which features mounding and a bunker wide left.
9 – 157 yards, par 3, SI 15
The first par three, the ninth is a pretty hole. A slightly elevated tee brings the bunkers into your eyeline – and you can admire them from an impressively carved bench made from a fallen beech tree. The green slopes distinctly from the back.
10 – 515 yards, par 5, SI 6
The back nine begins with a par five played from an elevated tee. Stay left of the handsome oak tree before playing into an accessible green protected by sand, mounding and run-off areas.
11 – 342 yards, par 4, SI 10
The dogleg left to right 11th rises slightly from the bunkers on the elbow, and the green is well-protected with mounding and run-offs.
12 – 152 yards, par 3, SI 14
Measuring 152 yards from the yellows, and 34 yards longer from white tees, the 12th is played to a green which is set slightly above you and slopes gently from the back. Bunkers on both sides lie below the putting surface.
13 – 340 yards, par 4, SI 4
Bedale’s signature hole, set at the top of the course, the 13th sweeps down and up from the left to an elevated green ringed by front bunkers and sloping distinctly from the back. Marshland juts in from the right side, and this can be a distraction.
14 – 378 yards, par 4, SI 2
The straightaway 14th features a drop in the fairway which can help your drive pick up a few more yards. The huge green is circular in shape and quite flat, with bunkers set below the putting surface.
15 – 353 yards, par 4, SI 12
The 15th is played from a raised tee, with the green set a little to the left and featuring plenty of mounding and run-offs, but no bunkers.
16 – 147 yards, par 3, SI 18
The final par three, the 16th is played downhill with a bunker positioned above the green at the front left corner, and another trap set below the surface at the front right. The green itself is pretty flat, and wider than it is deep.
17 – 350 yards, par 4, SI 16
Everything is straight in front of you at the slightly downhill 17th. A large tree front right can block you out if you’re approaching from the right side, and the green slopes gently away from you.
18 – 370 yards, par 4, SI 8
A tough finishing hole with internal out of bounds down the right side – though there is plenty of tree protection in front of it – the 18th is played uphill past a pond and the clubhouse. Players make a slight right turn as they play into a green which is guarded by out of bounds left. A par to finish is a very good score.
