Yorkshire is England’s largest county and is justifiably proud of its sporting heritage.

It’s well known that when Yorkshire Cricket is strong then English cricket is strong and recent events bear out that fact.

It spearheaded the arrival of the Tour de France in the UK and the Tour of Yorkshire cycle race is rapidly gaining international recognition

It’s true that it could be more successful in terms of football, but it does have one team in the Premier League and hopefully, more will follow.

However, when it comes to its golf courses it has several that would be premier league class and with three courses that have hosted the Ryder Cup and several others that have held professional tournaments, it’s the perfect location for a UK golfing break.

If you are in a hurry, we have compiled a list of the best golf courses in Yorkshire below:

• Moortown Golf Club
• Alwoodley Golf Club
• Sand Moor Golf Club
• Ilkley Golf Club
• Oulton Hall
• Ganton Golf Club
• Fulford Golf Club
• York Golf Club
• Lindrick Golf Club
• Rotherham Golf Club
• Hallamshire Golf Club

If you’ve got some time to kill, we’ve taken a closer look at the courses mentioned above and demonstrated why Yorkshire is the best county in England for golf.

What are the Best Golf Courses in West Yorkshire?

Augusta and golf in Yorkshire may seem a strange fit but it’s there as Dr. Alister Mackenzie who designed the great Masters venue was born in Normanton West Yorkshire and started his design career with some sensational layouts around the northern outskirts of Leeds which are now also regarded as classic designs before he moved to America.

There could be a heated debate as to whether Alwoodley or Moortown is the better course and each has valid claims and as with many things in golf it’s a matter of opinion, but both are very definitely worth a visit. Moortown hosted the Ryder Cup and several professional tournaments have also been held there whereas Alwoodley has never chased the limelight in quite the same way but it is a gem of a course and a personal favourite of ours.

Also, in West Yorkshire, there are other Mackenzie designs such as the nearby Sand Moor Golf Club and just slightly further away Ilkley Golf Club which is England’s third oldest golf course.

For those who want to stay on a golf course but still be close to the vibrant centre of Leeds then Oulton Hall is an excellent choice. The 18th-century house is surrounded by 27 interesting holes and with 152 luxury bedrooms and five restaurants and bars as well as a Spa it’s an ideal place to spend a short break.

What are the Best Golf Courses in North & East Yorkshire?

Whilst the West Yorkshire golf courses can lay claim to being amongst the best courses in Yorkshire there are excellent golf courses in North and East Yorkshire that are also well worth playing.

In fact, Ganton Golf Club in many people’s opinion can lay claim to being the best of all Yorkshire golf courses. Situated 11 miles from the east coast it has a linksy feel with gorse and bunkers protecting the undulating fairways and the always perfect greens providing a great challenge.

The course has hosted the Ryder Cup and many notable amateur and professional events and really is a must-play course for those visiting the White Rose County.

In the historic town of York, Fulford Golf Club established its reputation by staging the Benson & Hedges tournament as well as many other notable events. York is the ideal place to stay with many good quality restaurants, excellent nightlife and accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets.

Whilst not as difficult as Fulford the York Golf Club is also well worth a visit as it’s a delightful parkland course designed by JH Taylor and represents excellent value for money.

What are the Best Golf Courses in South Yorkshire?

Both Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire could claim the wonderful Lindrick Golf club as its own but as it’s just south of Sheffield on the county border we can include it in a golfing guide to Yorkshire. It’s a wonderful golf course that has hosted the Ryder Cup in 1957 and several other major events.

Lindrick is without doubt one of Britain’s finest inland courses and whilst presenting a challenge it’s an extremely fair course. It’s quite rightly proud of its heritage and whilst it is often overlooked when great golf courses are discussed in our opinion it’s an absolute gem.

There are several other good golf courses in South Yorkshire and both Rotherham Golf Club and Hallamshire Golf Club are well worth a visit.

With over 190 golf courses Yorkshire can rightly claim to be amongst the foremost Counties for high-quality golf. When all the other factors such as good accommodation, quality food, outstanding scenery and excellent nightlife are taken into consideration then a visit to Yorkshire for a golfing holiday should be on everyone’s agenda.