The area to the south of Huddersfield transforms surprisingly quickly from the industrial heartland of the north into the bleak beauty of the Peak District and Pennines.
The whole region, with its old mills and limestone scars, has a timeless feel and when you stand on the moors at the highest point of Crosland Heath it could just as easily be 1960 as 2011.
This is a fine course, and one which has remained a well-kept secret for plenty long enough.
It was designed by Alister MacKenzie, and the good doctor, creator of Alwoodley, Augusta and Cypress Point to name but three, simply did not put his name to even average courses.
Do not be fooled by the relatively modest yardage, this is a layout that has many layers of protection – not least the stiff westerlies that blow in from North Wales and across Cheshire.
Almost without exception, when you see a hole that, on the scorecard, looks like a birdie chance it will either be uphill, into the wind or sometimes both.
Full of character, there is an abundance of variety. To prosper here you will need to be able to retain control of your shots when the wind is coming from all four points of the compass.
At the one extreme, try feathering a downwind wedge on to the shelf of green at the 2nd. Then, three holes later, you are required to cover 457 yards uphill and into the teeth of the wind.
The 6th might only measure 353 yards but when the wind is howling into your back as you stand over the ball it really does not need to be any longer.
Then the 7th, drivable for the long hitters on a good day, runs in the opposite direction and is sufficiently well protected to cost the unwary a double bogey in no time at all.
The best views come from the 13th tee, where the textile town of Slaithwaite can be seen sheltering in a valley below the Pennine hills, and you will need to hit two of your best shots to prosper at this cunning par 5.
Crosland will celebrate its centenary in 2014, but don’t wait that long before travelling to this corner of Yorkshire to see what it has to offer.
Do not be fooled by the relatively modest yardage, this is a layout that has many layers of protection – not least the stiff westerlies that blow in from North Wales and across Cheshire.
4th 363 yards, par 4
Stay clear of the out of bounds up the left and play up the right-hand side to open up the angle to the green, which is 30 yards deep and slopes from back to front. Do not, whatever you do, finish above the hole on a breezy day. Three putts are almost guaranteed.
9th 150 yards, par 3
Innocuous though it may appear on the card, it is not unheard of for a wood to be required to clear the quarry and find the tabletop green, which is a bigger target than it appears from the tee.
16th 388 yards, par 4
Probably the best hole on the course. The prevailing wind will help your drive slide to the right to follow the shape of the fairway and then you must try to find a green that looks like it belongs on an Irish links course, nestling at the foot of a couple of dunes. Watch out for a back-right flag here.
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[course view=”list” id=24755][course view=”list” id=24820][course view=”list” id=24875]
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