Ganton: A simply magical inland links course

Ganton is surely one of the few inland courses in the British Isles good enough to hold an Open Championship.

Unlike in the Southport area where championship courses literally border on to another in places, the Yorkshire coast is not an established golfing holiday destination. Suffice it is to say, Ganton is well worth a long trip just to play its 18 holes.

This is golf as it was meant to be played, from the moment you step into a warm locker room, complete with a caddymaster and prints of famous courses and golfers decorating the room.

If the quality of a course can be gauged by the calibre of the names on its honours board then Ganton belongs in the very highest company.

History

Golf was first played in Ganton in the summer of 1891.

The course was laid out Tom Chisolm (of St Andrews) and since then the course has been touched by Mackenzie, Vardon, Colt, Fowler and more recent improvements led by leading architect Martin Ebert.

In 2003, it become only the third club in Britain, after Muirfield and Royal Birkdale, to have played host to the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup.

What makes it special

Apart from the tees being as good as most courses’ greens, still plenty of things!

Ganton enjoys something close to its own microclimate which is perfect for golf. As it is a sand-based course its near-perfect condition doesn’t change all year round.

Despite being 10 miles inland of the seaside resort of Scarborough, Ganton has tangible links quality with its tight, springy turf and dense gorse bushes.

There are also crops of pine trees and some of the biggest bunkers you will ever see on a golf course, which make it an incredibly hard course to pin down in terms of character.

What is not in doubt is its unmatched quality.