Ganton has made a dramatic move upwards, climbing back inside the top 10 of the updated NCG Top 100s: England list for 2025.
The Yorkshire venue has a long and storied history, with its greatest day perhaps arriving in 1949. That was when Ganton hosted the Ryder Cup, with the American team, captained by the great Ben Hogan, winning 7-5 to take the trophy back across the pond.
RELATED: Check out the new NCG Top 100s: England list
Why has Ganton taken Yorkshire’s top spot?
Combine historic, testing golf in comely surroundings with conditioning that is second to none and it is no wonder that Ganton counts among the best golfing days out in England.
On only two occasions at Ganton do you play successive holes in the same direction. The closely-cropped turf is a ball-striker’s paradise, while the greens are fast and true with some entertaining humps and hollows.
In recent times leading course architect Martin Ebert has overseen some course renovations which have been well received. The most obvious element has been the re-introduction of sandy wasteland areas which were once a feature of the course but had been lost over time. These are known as pandys.
The eye-catching rise reflects years of hard work during which the club has made both architectural and agronomic changes. For us, Ganton has never looked better.
READ MORE – NCG Top 100s: Ganton
What do our experts say about Ganton?
Tom Irwin, co-host of The NCG Golf Podcast, believes it is a special golfing venue.
“One of the things about going there is that it is a very special place to visit,” Irwin said on the NCG Golf Podcast.
“One of the criteria of our list is ambience, what it feels like to go there. It is a bit ethereal and a bit washy-washy I guess, but we all know what we mean.
“The drive there is something in itself because it is one long straight road towards the coast. The drive in is also something as well – the white posts that line the long driveway.
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“The people there respect the quality of the golf and going there is very different to going to some of the golf clubs in more built-up areas. That feels like, you are getting further and further away from real life all the time and that is all part of it.
“It is an unashamedly traditional club isn’t it? Right down to the steward, the dress codes and all the rest of it. It remains a unique experience going there and the golf course is back befitting what it is supposed to be.”
Dan Murphy – chairman of the NCG Top 100s Rankings – is thrilled to see Ganton rising back up the ranks.
“Absolutely delighted. I think back to a conversation I was having with one of my panellists who first played at Ganton in the Brabazon Trophy in the 1980s and has always enjoyed it.
“He came back last summer, and he rang me up on his way home saying that he had never seen it in better shape. I was talking to him on the phone, but I could sense the smile he had on his face. When you go back to one of your old favourites and it not only lives up to how you remember it but it exceeds it, that’s a really special experience.
“I was at Ganton myself last summer – it was a privilege. It was in amazing nick. You have those big skies, with the Yorkshire Wolds around you and the North Yorkshire Moors in the distance and the coast at Scarborough just a few miles to the east.
“You have that wonderful turf, the incredible bunkering with that trademark yellow sand, the huge greens. It is just so good and it is a deserved return to the top 10.
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“Congratulations to all at Ganton. This has been a long-term project, which it is not always easy to push through at a traditional club, but they have done their members a great service here.”
Steve Carroll, host of the NCG Golf Podcast, is arguably the local boy when it comes to Ganton, born in Teesside and a long-time York resident.
“It is remarkable, actually, to live so close – half an hour drive for me – to one of the premier courses in England. Not just for its quality, but for its history as well. It is an amazing place and it is always a fantastic day out.”
Listen to the NCG Golf Podcast in full…
Now have your say
Have you been fortunate enough to play at Ganton? If so, what did you make of it? Would you agree with us that it is the best course in the country? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
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