Ganton Golf Club *****

Ganton, Scarborough, YO12 4PA

Nearest main town: Scarborough

 

All that is missing from Ganton is the sea. The course feels as if it should have been moulded by the crushing of waves against cliffs, but despite the freshness of the air and the sea shells that can be found in some of the bunkers, it remains indelibly moorland with gorse and heather carpeting the edges of the fairways. Links lovers might snobbishly label it inadequate on this count, but any honest golfer would agree that Ganton is a magnificent course.

It has been likened to some of the great courses in Surrey in char­acter/ but the similarity is very tenuous, with trees only affecting play on four holes. There are no great avenues of woodland and only occa­sionally/ where great banks of gorse can threaten, is there not an awareness of space. In truth, it bears a similarity to Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire, another heath land course.

Situated in the Vale of Pickering not far from Scarborough, Ganton is a terrific challenge on a windy day and a good one on a calm day. The gorse and heather dictate the style and pace of play, but so do the bunkers, which are expansive (none more so than the huge bunker on the 16th, in which you could get two coaches and still have room for a car) on the fairways and deeply potted around the greens.

Ganton is unique for a course of such standing in that it has only two par-3s and two par-5s to make a par of 72. The monotony of the par-4s is thankfully broken with some excellent examples of the short par-4, and few walk off the 18th green bored or nonplussed with the examination that they have just sat.

Memorable holes include the 4th, a 397-yard par-4 which is played over a gully to a plateau green with a water hazard guarding the left­hand side, and the 17th with a carry over a road and across a bunker to a far green, closely trapped and exposed to all the winds. In some ways the best is saved until last, a dogleg where if you drive too far to the left, you will find your second shot, requiring a long iron, screened by a copse of pines.

 

Secretary: Maj R. Woolsey

Tel: 01944 710329 Fax: 01944 710922

Professional: Mr G. Brown

Tel: 01944 710260

Playing: Midweek: round £60.00; day £60.00. Weekend: round £70.00; day £70.00.

Facilities: Bar: 11 am-11 pm. Food: Lunch and dinner by arrangement.

Comments: Secretary and members could not have been more friendly...A real thinking man's course...Very tough track in the wind...Terrific course, and what bunkersl ... Get the European Tour to play here in the wind. . .Interesting and varied... Genuine course...Shame it can't hold Tour events any more...Many links characteristics but essentially moorland.

 

Catterick Golf Club *

Leyburn Road, Catterick Garrison, DL9 3QE

Nearest main town: Scotch Corner

 

Secretary: Mr G. McDonnell

Tel: 01748 833268 Fax: 01748 833268

Professional: Mr A. Marshall

Tel: 01748 833671 Fax: 01748 833268

Playing: Midweek: round £24.00; day £27.00. Weekend: round £33.00; day n/a.

Facilities: Bar: 11 am-11 pm. Food: Lunch and dinner from 11 am-9pm. Bar snacks.

Comments: Played here many times and always a new set of prob­lems ... Watch out for Heartbreak Hill...Opens as it means to go on - tough...Fairly unkempt course but interesting...Plenty of out-of-bounds.