Join us for a tour of some of the best golf that the north of Yorkshire has to offer
Home to more than 180 golf courses, Yorkshire is a jewel in England’s golfing crown – and in the northern reaches of the county you’ll find some of the brightest stars.
The area features dramatic landscapes which provide wonderful settings for golf courses – from the rolling Yorkshire Dales to rugged moorland and clifftops. There is great history here too – from historic Ryder Cup venues to more recent grand occasions and tour visits – with a mix of traditional English clubs which have shaped the game and modern venues which drive it forward through the 21st Century. In this Special Focus, we shine a spotlight on some of our favourites…
Aldwark Manor Estate
Set in the heart of the picturesque North Yorkshire countryside, the Aldwark Manor Estate combines luxury, leisure and top-tier facilities. Following a £4.5million investment – which saw nine holes redesigned to enhance the layout and introduce several new water hazards on the par 70 course which covers some 5,922 yards along the River Ure – the work at the venue continues with the upcoming launch of a new golf simulator. Meanwhile, Bunkers offers a range of amenities designed to enhance the overall guest experience – with 11 bedrooms to accommodate groups of various sizes, a sports bar and restaurant featuring four large screens, a golf shop, function room, an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven and barbecue, and a large terrace. There’s also a stunning fine dining restaurant, Chartwell, on-site as well as a new spa (opening in 2025). A range of individual and corporate membership options are available, along with opportunities to visit for a round and stay on the fantastic estate.
Drax Golf Club
Set in the heart of North Yorkshire, Drax Golf Club offers a delightful experience for players of all abilities. Opened in 1990, the course provides an enjoyable round for beginners and casual golfers, while presenting a challenging layout for skilled players. The narrow fairways, diverse trees and strategically placed hazards demand accuracy and thoughtful play throughout every round. The testing greens are renowned, and ensure each round is a unique and rewarding adventure. As well as presenting a rewarding membership experience, the club is an incredibly friendly one and welcomes groups and societies throughout the year. The team at Drax offers flexible packages tailored to a group’s needs – whether you’re a small gathering or a larger society. From pre-round breakfasts to post-round meals, they can arrange every detail to make your day special on the course and in the spacious clubhouse.
Ganstead Park Golf Club
Opened in 1976 as a nine-hole course and extended to 18 holes in the mid-1980s, today the golf course at Ganstead Park is a delightful place to test your game before relaxing in the modern clubhouse. An easy and enjoyable walking course, set just a few miles east of Hull, the fairways here are defined by grassy mounds and many mature trees, while several lakes and numerous challenging bunkers ensure the generous greens are never too easy to get to. The course, now owned by its members, can be played from 5,000 yards and up depending on the tees you use, ensuring players of all abilities enjoy their visit. The team at Ganstead can also tailor a visit to a group’s individual needs and the club welcomes societies throughout the year.
Ganton Golf Club
Describing the importance of Ganton Golf Club to the game of golf, not just in the north of England but Great Britain & Ireland, in a short space is near-impossible. Its history alone could fill a book, while its landscape – from the cathedral-like gorse to the expanses of exposed sandy terrain – could fill another. Its design meanwhile – from the green complexes to the mix of bunkers with their unique splashes of white provided by seashells, and the putting surfaces honed for more than a century – would delight any player for an entire golfing career. The great history of the club is told throughout its clubhouse – most prominently the Ryder Cup, with the famous golden trophy greeting you as you arrive. The great Ben Hogan captained the US team here in 1949 and brought with him five players who had won, or would go on to win, majors – including seven-time major winner Sam Snead. Great Britain & Ireland meanwhile featured three major champions of their own. GB&I would win Friday’s foursomes 3-1 but succumb to the star power of the Americans in Saturday’s singles, ultimately losing the match 7-5. Championships and matches continue to be hosted by Ganton – from Walker and Curtis cups to British Amateur championships, with the three men’s amateurs here won by Gordon Clark, Peter McEvoy and Gary Wolstenholme. While its history is remarkable, the golf course at Ganton is undoubtedly the reason for its continued success – which includes being ranked 23rd in the Top100golfcourses.com GB&I list and 69th in the global list. Laid out on land reclaimed centuries ago from the North Sea, its profile is comprised almost completely of sand. This helps course manager Simon Olver and his team deliver fast and firm conditions, while also allowing for areas of the subsurface to be exposed to create spectacular landscapes of grass and sand which are more typical of the coastline some 10 miles east. Laid out by Tom Chisholm and defined by the later work of Dr Alister MacKenzie and Harry Colt, today the course can be stretched to 7,055 yards for tournaments, though the white, yellow and red tee layouts are a little more welcoming. In recent years, with the opening up of sandy areas has come the cutting back of gorse – while bunker renovations and new tee box constructions have further enhanced the golf course, as have significant investments in greenkeeping, irrigation and equipment. A limited number of summer tee times have been opened for non-members, and times are available for twilight golf after 4pm. Meanwhile, the Vardon Dormy House provides on-site accommodation for up to eight golfers, and stay and play packages are available.
Heworth Golf Club
Heworth Golf Club was established in 1911 as a nine-hole course on the site of an old brick works and part of Monk Stray. Many of the undulations on the course are the remnants of track beds and excavations to produce bricks – while its narrow fairways and tall trees ensure the course is rarely overpowered by talented players with modern equipment. During the early days of the club, there was also a clay pigeon shooting range on the course. The layout was expanded to 11 holes in 1950, and the club moved into its present clubhouse in 1946 – though the building is much older and was extended and redeveloped in 1986. The current layout of the course covers 18 holes – with seven holes played twice but from significantly different tee positions to present new challenges to players. Set within one mile of the centre of York, Heworth presents the chance to play nine, 11 or 18 holes – making it ideal for players visiting in the evening, beginners, and players of all ages.
Kirkbymoorside Golf Club
Home to a challenging golf course set in beautiful and quiet rural surroundings, Kirkbymoorside Golf Club lies on the edge of the North York Moors. One of the top 30 golf courses in Yorkshire, the fascinating layout – with a full length of 6,207 yards and a par of 69 off the white tees – is renowned for its fast, undulating greens. Whenever you visit, you’re also sure to be impressed by the spectacular scenery which surrounds the golf course – the view over the moors from the 13th tee is particularly special. Looking away from the moors, the course offers distant views of the Yorkshire Wolds and The Hambleton Hills – both areas of outstanding natural beauty. After your round, the modern clubhouse – opened in 1998 by Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Gallagher – is incredibly welcoming with a friendly team serving drinks and homecooked food inside and out on the veranda – where you can watch players taking on the first and 18th holes.
Malton & Norton Golf Club
Home to a complete golf offering on and off the golf course, Malton & Norton Golf Club is set in a quiet location just above the River Derwent, halfway between York and Scarborough. Here you’ll find three unique loops of nine, all starting and ending at the clubhouse. The Welham nine features a very tough opening dogleg par five and then climbs to the fourth tee – affording stunning views of the North Yorkshire countryside. The Park loop is a much flatter challenge – though the closing four holes will test even the very best golfers. The newest loop, Derwent, brings water into play on several holes while a couple of sharp doglegs will test players’ positional skills. As well as the 27 holes, the club is home to a driving range with covered bays and a grass tee area, as well as a teaching bay. The short game practice area, one of the largest in the region, is also a fantastic place to work on your game.
The Oaks Golf Club & Spa
Set in tranquil countryside near Aughton, 30 minutes’ drive south of York, The Oaks Golf Club & Spa offers a premier golfing experience complemented by fantastic spa facilities. The golf course here opened in 1996 and today the par 72 layout can be stretched as far as 6,849 yards. Designed to USGA specifications, the course features substantial mounding, more than 50 bunkers, and seven lakes that come into play throughout the round – providing a challenging yet enjoyable test for golfers of all abilities. Off the course you’ll also find a well-stocked pro shop here along with the Walker’s Golf Academy – led by world-renowned coach Graham Walker. As well as the golf facilities, The Spa at The Oaks offers the chance to relax in stunning surroundings with a number of spa treatments on offer as well as a modern fitness suite. Facilities include a 15-metre swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and aromatherapy room. Having enjoyed the course and spa, guests can pop into the clubhouse café and bar – which overlooks the course and the lake on the 10th hole – and serves food and drinks throughout the day.
Pike Hills Golf Club
Located just a few minutes’ drive south-west of the centre of York, Pike Hills Golf Club – originally formed as Knavesmire Golf Club in 1904 – has been at its current location since 1946 and has since developed into one of the region’s premier parkland courses. Today the 18-hole, par 71 course can be stretched to a maximum of 6,212 yards with its tree-lined fairways and tricky layout ensuring it is rarely overpowered. Built around the Askham Bog Nature Reserve – a Site of Special Scientific Interest – the course offers a unique blend of natural beauty and golfing challenge, with players often encountering local wildlife during their rounds. A couple of ponds also come into play, while you are never far away from a dyke which runs from the bog. Having enjoyed your round, the clubhouse at Pike Hills offers a welcoming environment to relax, eat and share the stories of your game. The club is also home to a covered driving range with multiple bays.
Scalm Park Leisure
You’ll find far more to enjoy than just the golf course and 16-bay floodlit driving range at Scalm Park, just west of Selby on a sprawling 50-hectare site adjacent to Forestry England’s Bishop Wood. Like many modern golf courses and clubs in Yorkshire, Scalm Park’s roots go back to the 1990s agricultural revolution – when working farmers were incentivised to broaden how they used their land. The Lamb farming family first experimented with a driving range, then developed a nine-hole golf course, and subsequently expanded to 13 and finally 18 holes with a par of 70 to create what we find here today. The golf offering now sits comfortably within a full-scope leisure facility – with three coarse fishing lakes in and around the fairways as well as a foot golf course and friendly clubhouse. The Lambs, who still run a working farm, also offer a range of opportunities to stay at Scalm Park – from holiday homes which are open 12 months of the year to seasonal pitches and glamping pods.
Scarborough North Cliff Golf Club
Home to spectacular clifftop views and a golf course designed by five-time Open champion James Braid, there’s a lot to enjoy on any visit to Scarborough North Cliff Golf Club. The course is split across two distinct areas – beginning and ending on the clifftops while the core of the round is played on tree-lined fairways with some fantastic views of the North Yorkshire Moors. The club is renowned for its welcoming atmosphere, catering to golfers of all abilities as well as its members and visitors alike on the golf course and in the clubhouse – where you can enjoy spectacular views of the North Bay and Scarborough Castle.
Scarborough South Cliff Golf Club
Established in 1903, today members and visitors at Scarborough South Cliff Golf Club have the chance to play a wonderful layout created by the legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie. The Good Doctor routed a new 18 holes here in 1921 and the scenic course still bares many of his design influences – not least on the putting surfaces. Today the 18 hole, 6,374-yard par 72 course offers breathtaking views over South Bay and the rugged coastline towards Filey on the clifftop side (holes 4-10) while the inland holes (1-3 and 11-18) are laid out along the bottom of a rolling valley. The club regularly hosts regional, county and national events – including partnering with Ganton to host the English Amateur Championship in 2016, which was won by Yorkshireman Dan Brown. The clubhouse meanwhile offers panoramic views, plenty of space to relax before and after a round, and serves food daily.
Selby Golf Club
Founded in 1907, Selby Golf Club is home to a stunning golf course with a par of 71. Laid out on free-draining sandy soil, it is playable year-round with firm conditions being a hallmark of the course. Measuring 6,377 yards from the back tees, the course is no pushover with three par fours stretching to more than 400 yards – including the challenging 16th, played downhill to a two-tiered green guarded by two front bunkers. The tricky, uphill par three 17th follows with a green guarded by multiple bunkers. The par five 18th can offer a good birdie opportunity when players avoid the many trees and greenside bunkers. The course at Selby is laid out in two loops, both returning to the clubhouse, making it ideal for evening rounds in the summer or 27-hole golf days. Meanwhile the floodlit, covered driving range allows you to practice in all weathers. Catering is top-notch here too and societies and visiting groups can expect a warm welcome.
