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Golf Monthly

Sport

Jeremy Ellwood

I Enjoyed A Few Days' In And Around Harrogate In England's Biggest Golfing County

Harrogate Golf Jeremy Ellwood England Yorkshire

I fully accept that any January golfing visit to Yorkshire, or indeed any UK county, is fraught with meteorological risk, but I've enjoyed more than my fair share of good fortune on several previous mid-winter trips to various parts of the country.

Yorkshire is England's biggest golfing county and home to several famous clubs that feature in our UK&I Top 100 course rankings, such as Alwoodley, Moortown and Ganton.

The county is also blessed with more golf courses that the whole of Wales.

This time, I was heading to Harrogate anyway for the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition, so was speculatively looking to pick off one or two courses en route and while staying at Rudding Park on the outskirts of town.

Given the wet January weather nearly everywhere, I prudently chose a moorland course for my journey north, which is how I came to find myself pulling up at Baildon Golf Club near Bradford on Sunday January 18.

Golfers preparing to tackle the signature par-2nd at Baildon (Image credit: Daz Moffat)

Limited visibility up on the moors

It wasn't raining hard but was very misty and after a quick lunch in the club's Waterworks clubhouse (yes, it really is an old waterworks building), I met up with two Martins – Messrs Binns and Patchett, both recent past captains – who suggested we play holes one to six then 15 to 18 on the way back.

On this particular afternoon, visibility was distinctly limited, but there are clearly some very strong and attractive holes and the views must be glorious some days. The par-3 2nd, which plays down and over an exposed rockface, is perhaps the visual highlight.

The par 4s at the 3rd and 4th are both tough, the former doglegging left to an elevated green, and I also really enjoyed the final par 3 at 16 where the green is cut into the slope, with a steep fall-off to the left and some unusual hollows on the right.

Looking down on the par-3 16th at Baildon where the green is cut into the slope (Image credit: Daz Moffat)

The only two par 5s come on 17 and 18 and must provide a real chance to salvage a score right at the death some days. I very much look forward to returning in more clement conditions.

Ringing the changes

From here I headed north-east to avail myself fully of Rudding Park's incredible rooftop spa, letting the various thermal experiences and water jets go to town on my tired and rusty golfing muscles.

The fabulous rooftop spa at Rudding Park (Image credit: Rudding Park)

I didn't play the main Martin Hawtree course this time but did enjoy a guided tour with the resort's executive advisor, Peter Banks.

The new 15th and 16th holes (with a bit of a Woburn vibe) that I'd seen last time were now in play, with the former 16th and 17th now retired and today's 17th (the former 15th) extended into a par 5.

The downhill risk-reward 13th was a work in progress, with an extension to the left-hand pond and new bunkering to make you think before taking it on. I look forward to tackling these new or reworked holes next time.

The 14th hole on the Hawtree course at Rudding Park (Image credit: Rudding Park)

I did, however, finally play the six-hole, par-3 Repton course, where I'd enjoyed a hard-hat tour when it was under construction nearly 20 years ago.

The penultimate hole pays homage to the 17th at Sawgrass. Misreading the wind slightly I was lucky to stay dry, but with the pin at the back had to work hard to salvage par.

The island-green 5th on the Repton course at Rudding Park has a real Sawgrass vibe to it (Image credit: Rudding Park)

With time for one more nine-hole game around my exhibition commitments I drove north to Masham, which had been on my radar for a while.

On the way I passed separate pub signs declaring ‘Yorkshire's best carvery' and ‘Yorkshire's best riverside beer garden' – bold claims indeed in such a vast county, but claims that I didn't have time to verify independently on this occasion.

Masham's setting by the River Burn takes some beating, too, but another misty day meant I didn't get to see it at its finest.

The long par-3 4th across the river is one of the highlights on a compact layout where the 1st and 9th share much of the same fairway in opposite directions. You must stay right on the tight par-4 3rd to take the trees out of play on your approach.

Masham is home to the Theakston brewery, so even as only an occasional beer drinker, I felt it fitting to sample the local ale in the clubhouse afterwards, along with a roast beef sandwich, Yorkshire pud and lashings of gravy.