Recognised as one of Britain's finest inland golf courses, Alwoodley Golf Club is rated amongst the top 50 championship courses in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Still one of the best-kept secrets in British golf, the inherent quality of Alwoodley can be gauged by the fact that it has hosted many major amateur events over the years, including regional qualifying for the Open Championship.
Founded in 1907, Alwoodley holds the distinction of being the first golf course designed by the renowned architect, Dr. Alister Mackenzie, who later designed such legendary greats as Royal Melbourne, Augusta National and Cypress Point. The course layout forms part of Wigton Moor and is of natural moorland character. Springy fairways, which wind their way through a plethora of heather and shrubs, combine with mature trees to form a striking vista, particularly in Autumnal months. That the course has withstood the test of time bears testament to the quality of Mackenzie's work and today, only the 10th and 11th greens have been altered from the original designs.
The course itself runs out and back with the inward nine being tougher as most holes are played into the fresh winds off the Yorkshire Moors. An abundance of heather and gorse provide a natural defence, while the bunkers, though featured sparingly, are certainly used tellingly. The toughest hole on the outward journey is probably the 6th, while the par five, 8th provides another real test. With out-of-bounds to the left and deep rough to the right, a good drive is essential here. The decision must then be made to either lay up before a bunker surrounded by a lip of rough or strike for home in two.
The homeward journey, particularly over the last six holes, is certainly the toughest at Alwoodley. From the par four, 13th hole, where bunkers and gorse lurk left and right respectively to punish wayward tee-shots, the finish is frequently into the wind. Other holes of note over the closing stretch include the long par three, 14th; the testing 17th, where your approach is played to a relatively blind green some 30 feet below the level of the fairway; and the daunting closing hole, which stretches to some 470 yards from the championship tees.
ONLINE GOLF TRAVEL RATING
Certainly one of the finest inland courses in England, Alwoodley is full of originality and character and has changed little since first designed by one of the world's greatest ever course architects, Alister Mackenzie.
Situated on Wigton Lane just north of Leeds off the main A61 route from Leeds to Harrogate.
NEARBY RESTAURANTS:
Haley's Hotel and Restaurant, Shire Oak Road, Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS6 2DE. Tel: (44) 113 278 4446. Hidden away in a tree-lined cul-de-sac and serving excellent cuisine, the slightly charred seared scallops are superb.
Pool Court at 42, 44 The Calls, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 7EW. Tel: (44) 113 244 4242. Service is slick and the menus provide a wide-ranging choice with focus on local produce. Some fine genuine labels of global wine offer value for money.
Rascasse Restaurant, Canal Wharf, Water Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS11 5PS. Tel: (44) 113 244 6611. A stylish, split-level restaurant housed in an old granary warehouse. Wooden floors, linen covered tables and brightly upholstered chairs provide the perfect backdrop for the modern French cooking.
Brasserie Forty-Four, 44 The Calls, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 7EW. Tel: (44) 113 234 3232. Converted from a grain store in a trendy area of the city, this is a fun place to eat, with an off-the-wall interior design. An engaging menu ranges from Catalan mussel broth to griddled calf liver on candied turnip.
Recognised as one of Britain's finest inland golf courses, Alwoodley Golf Club is rated amongst the top 50 championship courses in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Still one of the best-kept secrets in British golf, the inherent quality of Alwoodley can be gauged by the fact that it has hosted many major amateur events over the years, including regional qualifying for the Open Championship.
