Golf Courses in Scarborough
9/04/2014
Crows Nest is close to a number of first class golf courses, whether you choose a quick 9 holes or a world class course that has hosted the Ryder Cup. There is something in the area suitable for you. Here is a lowdown on the courses around Scarborough.
South Cliff Golf Club
The course falls into two parts, divided by the main road from Scarborough to Filey. On the seaward side of the road lie the fourth to tenth holes. On the land-ward side the first three holes and the last eight are laid out along the bottom of the rolling valley stretching southwards into the hills and on the slope of the ridge to the East.
The greatest charm of the course is the glorious situation of the holes on the cliff, looking down on the South Bay and Scarborough Town on the one side and along the bold and rugged coastline towards Filey on the other. The two parts of the course make a pleasant contrast and both provide some excellent golf.
The turf, even on the cliffs, is of the down-land rather than the seaside type and provides excellent lies for the fairway wood shots.
A great attraction to visitors is the inspiring view of the shore and sea. An exhilarating fresh breeze is never wholly absent even on the calmest of days and which at other times can add a new hazard to the testing quality of the course.
Website – www.southcliffgolfclub.com
Telephone – 01723 360522
North Cliff Golf Club
The course starts on the cliff top and then moves inland threading its way between trees and spinneys, with lovely views of the North Yorkshire Moors before returning to the cliff top for the final three holes.
The course is sufficiently undulating to be interesting without being excessively hilly and is a tough but fair test for golfers of all abilities. With the prevailing wind from the west the first five holes provide a stiff test of golf and par on these holes is a good start.
The short 7th and the par 5s at 8 and 9 provide some respite before the next major test “Amen corner” (10, 11 and 12) is tackled.Hole 10 requires a long straight drive and the 11th is a memorable hole played from an elevated tee over water to a green surrounded by trees.
The 12th is a testing dogleg played around trees to the right to a raised green.The 13th and 14th are birdie chances as the course winds its way back to the 15th tee where once again the sea comes into view.
The homeward run has glorious sea views across the North Bay towards the Castle before arriving back at the Clubhouse where a welcome drink awaits.
Website – www.northcliffgolfclub.com
Telephone – 01723 355397
Ganton Golf Club
Ganton, ranked in the top 30 of Europe’s Championship courses, has hosted many national and international tournaments and is a perfect place to play golf. Nestling in the Vale of Pickering, east of York and a few miles from the coastal resort of Scarborough, a day at Ganton is a day to remember.
The terrain is sandy and gently undulating – a blend of links and heathland. The fairways are firm and fast. The bunkers are cunningly placed and sometimes cavernous - and the greens are perfection, in summer and winter alike.
Ganton Golf Club has played host to the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup, the Amateur Championship and numerous other national and international events.
Sir Michael Bonnallack, Amateur Champion and Captain of the R&A, summed up Ganton well. “The journey from tee to green on every hole is one of the most enjoyable golfing examinations that a player is ever likely to experience”.
The fairways are predominantly bents and fescues, that provide a firm base for all well executed shots. However, the modern player will find that Ganton puts a premium on accuracy rather than length. Impenetrable gorse abounds within the open nature of the heathland. There are few trees, other than those on the boundaries; with plenty of space, the original open character of the terrain has been retained.
As to the bunkers, Ganton has few peers; the player who is bunkered is punished for the error. In an age when golf designers are making bunkers less penal, this is a welcome feature.
It is invidious to single out any hole for particular comment: the opening holes make full use of the contours of the land and call for straight driving. The genius of Harry Colt marks the fourth as one of the best holes on the outward half with its shot across a valley to a plateau green, the gorse behind punishing less than a perfect shot.
The seventh (435 yards) is a fine dog-leg hole with a great nest of bunkers filling the dog-leg angle. The ninth is the second of the three Par 5s and is marked by a smallish green, guarded by bunkers and gorse, which present a difficult target to a long second shot.
The wind is always a factor at Ganton with the varying direction of the holes. The tenth, the second of the short holes, calls for a well judged shot, particularly if the wind is swirling over the green. The next four holes can be tempting to the aggressive player before the very demanding finishing holes, which are difficult to beat anywhere.
The fifteenth and sixteenth are stiff two-shotters both requiring perfectly struck shots to subtle greens. The seventeenth is a long one-shotter which is harsh in the punishment of a wayward shot.
The finest hole is possibly the eighteenth, requiring an accurately placed drive to give a clear shot to the sloping, well bunkered green. Championships have been won and lost on this hole for it sums up the principle of the whole Ganton layout; you are forced all the time to a choice of risks, if you are to achieve par.
Gary Player once said that Ganton is the only inland course worthy of holding the Open Championship. It provides a relentless test for those aspiring to the greatest achievements in the game; the fast running fairways and the firm true greens require the highest quality of shot making and control.
Website – www.gantongolfclub.com
Telephone – 01944 710329