Join us for a round at Ripon City Golf Club
The rolling hills of North Yorkshire provide fantastic ground for golf – and with its mix of traditional English parkland aesthetics, steeply sloping terrain, modern bunkering and spectacular green complexes, Ripon City provides an all-round golf experience.
The course lies just outside one of England’s smallest cities, with views of the Hambleton Hills and Ripon Cathedral. It opened in 1908 as a nine-hole layout following the club’s founding in 1891. In 1993, the course was expanded to 18 holes. The new holes – with their wider fairways and USGA greens – were once very distinct from the first nine, which is characterised by its dramatic elevation changes. A long-term project overseen by architect Howard Swan has since tied the course together while introducing modern bunkering.
Wholly owned by its members following the purchase of the land the first nine is set on in 2024, today the course measures 6,089 yards from the back tees – and begins with a daunting short hole in the shadow of the clubhouse.
Just 146 yards from the white tees, it’s easy to make a mistake at the first with water lurking short left and a bunker waiting short right. The green is large, so aim at the middle and try to make a solid start.
Having crossed onto the far more undulating half of the course, the 374-yard second invites you to hit driver into a wide fairway while avoiding the bunkers and trees right. From here it’s downhill to a steeply tiered green, which is set beyond a deep ditch and framed by flanking bunkers.
Just over 500 yards, the par five third can offer birdies should you stay clear of the tall trees on the right, then play a short pitch well up to a small bunkerless green which slopes steeply back to front.
The short par four which follows can be tricky to get right. An iron running to the bottom of the hill is best, with the fairway funnelling balls left. It’s a steep climb back up to a well-defended green with a narrow entrance between a large bunker and some mounding.
Beautifully framed by the slope and trees, the 165-yard par three fifth is played uphill to a demanding target perched on the slope with two bunkers cut into the bank on the right, and an imposing chasm left.
A fascinating short par four, the 281-yard sixth can be reached in one, though you must be incredibly accurate as the hole narrows considerably. Finding the fairway isn’t much easier with a layup, with a vast bomb crater on the left waiting to catch balls which land close to it. A short uphill pitch must be accurate with three bunkers cut into the slope – two short right and another greenside on the left.
Having taken in the view across to the city and cathedral, the long par three seventh is less daunting than the 187 yards on the card suggests. Played steeply downhill, the green is massive – just don’t go long.
A downhill rollercoaster of a short par four follows – with players asked to hit blind out to the right and use the contours to leave a short shot into a big, inviting target with a slope in the green acting as a backstop.
At just under 300 yards, the ninth is another great birdie chance. Play confidently up the hill into the generous fairway, staying clear of the bunkers to the right, and while the green is well-defended by more sand, such a short shot should yield a birdie chance.
A far tougher par four, the 395-yard 10th asks players to shape the ball from right to left around the dogleg. The boundary is close on the left side, while tall trees ensure those who play cautiously out to the right cannot reach the green in two. A vast green is designed to accept long shots in, while the bunker at the front left corner is designed to punish the inaccurate player further.
Crossing back onto the clubhouse side of the course, the straightaway 505-yard par five 11th is well-bunkered but can be picked apart in three shots. There’s a lot of sand to avoid en route to the green and players who are too bold will be caught out here.
There’s plenty of room to get driver away at the 361-yard 12th hole and big hitters get a great look down the hill to the green. Be very careful with your approach as anything on the left side will end up in the pond.
The longest hole on the course, the 542-yard 13th is played uphill and moves subtly from right to left. Another par five which is guarded by several bunkers, stay straight and give yourself a look at the generous green with your third shot.
Back in the shadow of the clubhouse and beside the opening hole, the 157-yard par three 14th is another stunner. Played all over water, it’s visually intimidating and made even tougher with a full veranda behind you. If the flag is at the front, near the bunker, play to the middle and try to escape with your three.
A trio of par fours measuring just over 350 yards follow. At 15, stay clear of the three fairway bunkers – two right and one left – to get a look at the green, which is wrapped around two greenside traps and rises to the right.
Two intimidating bunkers can catch players out at the 16th, while the green is an inviting target set into a bowl with a deep bunker left.
The dogleg-left 17th can be shortened with driver, though beware the fairway bunker some 110 yards from the green. From the main landing area you get a great look down the hill to a large green which slopes from back to front and is cut into a shelf, and falls away on the left side towards the water.
Following a few short holes, the course bares its teeth one last time at the 439-yard 18th. A long tee shot is required, avoiding the flanking fairway bunkers, to have a chance to reach the steeply two-tiered green in regulation. Two bunkers narrow its entrance, while the back tier is very generous.
OUR VERDICT
A welcoming club which is incredibly easy to get to from every corner of our region, Ripon City needs to be on your must-visit list.
