As the home to four of the best inland courses in the north of England, why is Leeds so underrated as a city when it comes to golf?
Considering the city was the birthplace of one of the greatest golf course designers in history, Leeds should not go under the radar when it comes to its golfing heritage and prowess.
Dr Alister MacKenzie was born in Leeds in the 19th Century, and prior to the First World War, he had already designed the two courses that most will know.
He then had a hand in two more, with Leeds able to boast about four fantastic venues, all of which sit within a couple of miles from each other to the north of the city.
There might not be any links courses in and around the city, but Leeds certainly makes up for that with its parkland and heathland selection…
RELATED – NCG Top 100s: Yorkshire
Why should make the trip to Leeds to play golf?
If you piece together the administrations of North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and East Yorkshire – all of which are their own regions as such – then you get the biggest county in England.
Yorkshire has a range of cities, including Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds, all of which have their own golfing identities and charms.
It is the latter though, that has arguably the best quartet of courses, and all of which are within a stones’ throw from each other.
All four courses were either designed by the great Dr Alister MacKenzie, who was born and raised on the outskirts of the city, or he had a hand in making alterations.
Alwoodley is one of Yorkshire’s golfing greats – and the birthplace of MacKenzie’s design career. He was also one of the founding members of the club, along with being club captain shortly before the First World War.
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To this day, it remains a tough heathland course, but if you can keep it on the fairway, then it is also a course that can yield birdie opportunities.
Two years later, MacKenzie was the brainchild behind Moortown. His second design would arguably become the more famous of the two, as it would host the first ever Ryder Cup to be held on British soil. That came in 1929, two decades after the course opened.
MacKenzie also made alterations at Headingley before the start of the First World War, at a club which can lay claim to being the oldest golfing venue in the city of Leeds.
The other venue in the quartet is Sand Moor, which sits less than half a mile from both Moortown and Alwoodley. MacKenzie was the designer of this layout, which opened in 1922, and offers stunning views of the Eccup Reservoir and beyond.
Book your space to play in Leeds on the NCG Top 100s Tour!
The NCG Top 100s Tour will make the trip to Yorkshire in July, with four of the five events being based in and around the city of Leeds. Moortown, Sand Moor, Headingley and Alwoodley will all host events, before the final day of the week takes us to Fulford in York.
- Book your spot to play at Moortown on the NCG Top 100s Tour on July 20th, 2026 here.
- Book your spot to play at Sand Moor on the NCG Top 100s Tour on July 21st, 2026 here.
- Book your spot to play at Headingley on the NCG Top 100s Tour on July 22nd, 2026 here.
- Book your spot to play at Alwoodley on the NCG Top 100s Tour on July 23rd, 2026 here.
Now have your say…
Have you ever played golf in Leeds before? Would you agree with us that Leeds is arguably the most underrated city in the United Kingdom when it comes to golf? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
