Danny Lockwood pays a visit to Crow Nest Park Golf Club
For a golf club that is celebrating just its 30th birthday this year, Crow Nest Park in the Hove Edge hills above Brighouse has a rich and fascinating history.
The estate, with its grand manor house, dates to the 1770s – when it was built by the Walker family. It was eventually owned by Anne Walker, the lover and wife of her neighbour, Anne Lister – played by Suranne Jones in BBC series Gentleman Jack. Although few traces of the old manor remain, it was in its pomp when it was bought by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Titus Salt, founder of the Saltaire model village 10 miles north.
Crow Nest Park came into being when the estate was bought by original proprietor Richard Harrison in 1995. Within 15 years it was already being lauded by Golf World magazine as one of the best nine-hole courses in the world, while National Club Golfer had named it in its British top-10 nine-holers list.
Today it is a fully fledged members’ club, and 2025 club captain Ian Donald was proud to host all of the club’s living past captains at his drive in – with those no longer with us represented by their partners.
While there’s no suggestion that the estate might ever be called home by Italian prisoners of war again – as it was in the second world war – change is in the air as the club prepares to have its first female captain, Kathy Hitchcock (pictured above with Ian), in 2026. Kathy, like Ian, has been at Crow Nest Park from its outset. As Ian says, the forward-looking club has made building its female membership a key focus, with inclusivity the watchword of the directors. Next year will also see club competitions expanded to Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate more players and give greater choice to members.
Crow Nest Park is also as much a community hub as it is a golf club – as it sits in a thriving residential neighbourhood with its restaurant proving a popular local destination.
An eight-bay covered driving range adds to the offering presented by the testing and intriguing course, which has no shortage of challenges. The holes all have separate tees for the back nine which change your tee shots on the 10th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th holes.
The signature hole is the picturesque fifth – played over Sir Titus’ boating lake to a tricky green complete with a false front which feeds balls back towards the water and a large, horizontal bunker lying above and beyond your target. Best to avoid being short – or long for that matter – at this one!
An undulating parkland course with an abundance of mature trees lining the fairways, the decision to invest in USGA-specification greens was inspired, and these provide both challenges and rewards to players.
Thankfully, there’s no residual evidence of the alpacas and llamas that Sir Titus used to have grazing his estate. As modern as Crow Nest Park is, and as close to modern industrial West Yorkshire as it may be, there’s a distinct serenity and feeling of being in touch with a rich heritage while strolling the fairways.
Add in a warm welcome from members and staff, and you’ve got something very special indeed.
Crow Nest Park Golf Club (yellow tees)
1 – 330/325 yards, par 4 (ST GILES)
An uphill par four with a slight dogleg from left to right, there is out of bounds on both sides but the target is generous at the first with just two flat fairway bunkers to avoid. A big, undulating green is guarded by a bunker in front of its left half. When played as the 10th, the hole is slightly shorter with a bigger dogleg to navigate.
2 – 410/411 yards, par 4 (THE SPIRE)
A pretty – and pretty tough – hole, the second is very tight up the left side with a rising dogleg to the left. If you go too wide right there are bunkers to catch you out and turn this one into a three-shotter up the hill. The elevated green has steep runoffs to the left and rear.
3 – 464/454 yards, par 4/5 (COACH ROAD)
A long hole that gets better on your second turn, the third is a sweeping left-to-righter that is much more straightforward from the advanced 12th tee. A bold drive is required if you want to reach in two, while many will find themselves in a gully which you can’t see from the tee. The hole then heads downhill with a ditch on the right side to an inviting, flat green with a big bunker on the right and runoffs beyond.
4 – 272/264 yards, par 4 (BAT’S BELFRY)
A very attractive short par four, the fourth can appear daunting. A true risk and reward tee shot is slightly different from the 13th tee box, and playing for position often sets up the best shot into a narrow, angled and elevated green which sits atop a large wall on the left. Miss left here and your lob wedge skills will be tested!
5 – 120/119 yards, par 3 (OLD BOAT HOUSE)
Adjacent tees present challenging short shots over Sir Titus’ boating lake. The green is an inviting target, but anything short will feed back towards the water, while going long brings a big horizontal bunker set above the putting surface into play.
6 – 347/361 yards, par 4 (MANSION HOUSE)
The sixth has a slight left to right dogleg, so favour the left side of the fairway to avoid being blocked out. The green falls away at the front and it has a couple of bunkers for protection.
7 – 279/290 yards, par 4 (SALT’S DRIVE)
The tee shot at the seventh is played blind over a brow onto a plateau, with the hole turning more when played from the 16th tee. Favour the left side here while avoiding the three small fairway bunkers. Another big, undulating green awaits a short shot in.
8 – 198/180 YARDS, PAR 3 (WILL’S PEARL)
A long par three, particularly the first time around, the eighth is played downhill and club selection is key as anything long and left could run into real trouble. The green has a narrow, well-guarded entrance and slopes away to the front and back from a slight ridge in its centre.
9 – 519/508 yards, par 5 (STABLE WAY)
A daunting hole played from a slightly elevated tee – with the mature trees challenging you to hit a straight drive – the undulating fairway at the ninth is more generous than it first appears. The hole drops down and away from the tee before it approaches the elevated and angled MacKenzie-style tiered green with the clubhouse set beyond it. The rear banking is a friendly backstop should you need it.
