How to Play the Best Golf in Yorkshire
Yorkshire holds one of the great inland golf collections in Britain, headed by Ganton, the finest course in the county, and the MacKenzie heathland of Alwoodley and Moortown on the edge of Leeds. Here is how to get on each one, what to expect to pay in 2026, and how to build a trip around the Leeds heath and the inland links of the Vale of Pickering.
Photograph: Ganton Golf Club, via Google
The short answer
Yorkshire's best golf splits into two clusters. North of Leeds sit Alwoodley and Moortown, both Alister MacKenzie designs of the highest order, with Pannal and Ilkley nearby, an easy heathland and moorland trio to base around Harrogate or north Leeds. An hour east, near Scarborough in the Vale of Pickering, stands Ganton, a magnificent inland links that is the county's number one and worth a journey on its own.
Almost all of these are members clubs that welcome visitors, most readily on weekdays, with Ganton asking for a handicap certificate and prior arrangement. None is as hard to access as the most private Surrey clubs, so a confirmed weekday tee sheet and a little notice will get you onto the lot. Get Ganton booked first and the rest of a Yorkshire trip falls into place around it.
Yorkshire's best courses: how to get on, 2026
| Course | How to get on | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ganton | Visitors most weekdays by prior arrangement; handicap certificate | Premium for the county's best; confirm directly | Inland links, host of the 1949 Ryder Cup, par 71 of 7,055 yards |
| Alwoodley | Visitors welcome weekdays, restricted at weekends | Mid to high; confirm directly | Alister MacKenzie's first design, 1907, north Leeds |
| Moortown | Visitors welcome most days, book ahead | Mid to high; confirm directly | MacKenzie, host of the first Ryder Cup on British soil, 1929 |
| Lindrick | Visitors welcome, some day restrictions | Confirm directly | Heathland on the county border, scene of the 1957 Ryder Cup win |
| Fulford | Visitor friendly, book ahead | Mid range, good value | York parkland, long a European Tour host of the Benson and Hedges |
| Ilkley and Pannal | Visitor friendly, book ahead | Value to mid | Wharfedale riverside parkland and fine Harrogate heathland |
Access rules and indicative green fees verified June 2026 and change by season, weekday and without notice. Ganton requires a handicap certificate and advance arrangement. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking. Check Yorkshire tee time availability.
How access works, course by course
Ganton is the one to plan around. A rare inland links set on fast running, sandy turf in the Vale of Pickering, it carries the hands of Harry Vardon, who was the professional here, plus Braid, Colt, MacKenzie and Tom Simpson, and it hosted the 1949 Ryder Cup. The club welcomes visitors on most weekdays by prior arrangement and asks for a handicap certificate, so book ahead and bring your paperwork. The reward is the best course in Yorkshire and one of the finest inland tests in England, a par 71 of around 7,055 yards.
The Leeds pair is more relaxed. Alwoodley, MacKenzie's very first design from 1907, and Moortown, where he built the holes that staged the first Ryder Cup on British soil in 1929, sit close together on the heather and birch of Wigton Moor and welcome visitors readily on weekdays. Lindrick, on the southern border near Worksop, is the heathland gem that hosted the famous 1957 Great Britain and Ireland win, while Fulford near York, a long time European Tour host, and the parkland and heath of Ilkley and Pannal round out an easy, varied week.
Base yourself around Harrogate or north Leeds for the MacKenzie cluster and the Wharfedale courses, all within half an hour, and treat Ganton as a day trip east or pair it with a night near Scarborough and the coast. Leeds Bradford airport sits in the middle of it all, and the motorway network makes moving between the two clusters straightforward. Play May to September for the firmest turf and the widest visitor access, with the April and October shoulders quieter and better value.
Plan your Yorkshire golf trip
Tell us whether you want the MacKenzie heath of Leeds, a run at Ganton, or a full county tour, and roughly when. One concierge handles the access, the Ganton tee time and the handicap paperwork, sorts the base and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.
Yorkshire golf questions
What is the best golf course in Yorkshire?
Ganton is the clear number one, a magnificent inland links in the Vale of Pickering near Scarborough that hosted the 1949 Ryder Cup and carries design work from Vardon, Braid, Colt and MacKenzie. Its closest rivals are the Alister MacKenzie heathland pair of Alwoodley and Moortown on the edge of Leeds. All three welcome visitors, so plan ahead and confirm access and fees directly.
Can visitors play Ganton?
Yes. Ganton welcomes visitors on most weekdays by prior arrangement, subject to a handicap certificate and availability. Summer dates fill early, so book well ahead, bring proof of handicap, and confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
Which Yorkshire courses can visitors play?
Almost all of the best. Ganton, Alwoodley, Moortown, Lindrick, Fulford, Ilkley and Pannal are all members clubs that welcome visitors, most readily on weekdays. Ganton asks for a handicap certificate and advance arrangement; the others are more relaxed. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Yorkshire?
May to September is the prime season, with the longest days, the warmest weather and the heathland and inland links at their firm, fast best, which is also when the clubs are busiest. The April and October shoulders offer fine conditions, quieter tee sheets and better value, while winter golf is possible but cold and soft. Always check the forecast and booking windows for your dates.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, access and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.