Moortown Golf Club
Moortown Golf Club is a golf club located in Alwoodley, near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1909, and the championship golf course was designed by Alister MacKenzie.
 Sign on Harrogate Road | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
  Location in England  Location in West Yorkshire  Location in Leeds | |
| Coordinates | 53.857°N 1.535°W |
| Location | Alwoodley, West Yorkshire, England |
| Established | 1909 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Events hosted | Ryder Cup (1929); Yorkshire Evening News Tournament; Lotus Tournament; Silentnight Tournament; Car Care Plan International; Haig Whisky TPC; English Amateur (4); Brabazon Trophy (5) |
| Website | moortown-gc.co.uk |
| Designed by | Alister MacKenzie |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,001 yards (6,402 m) |
| Course rating | 74.8 |
| Course record | 141 |
In 1929, Moortown hosted the second Ryder Cup matches, the first to be played in Great Britain.[1] About two thousand spectators saw America gain a narrow lead[2] before the Great Britain team won singles on the final day and thus the competition by a score of 7–5 points.[3]
Moortown was a regular venue on the British PGA tournament circuit, which later became the European Tour, through to the mid-1980s, hosting the Yorkshire Evening News Tournament (19 times between 1925 and 1962), the Daily Telegraph Foursomes Tournament (1949), the Lotus Tournament (1950), the Silentnight Tournament (1965), the Tournament Players Championship (1980) and the Car Care Plan International (1984–1986). The club has also hosted qualifying rounds for The Open Championship as well as being the venue for the English Amateur four times, and the Brabazon Trophy on five occasions.
History
Plans for the establishment of Moortown Golf Club were revealed in 1908.[4] The Alister MacKenzie designed course, built on Black Moor, land that was leased from the Lane-Fox estate, partially opened the following year. Soon after, the full eighteen holes were open for play. Development of the course continued through into the 1930s, by which time MacKenzie's brother, Charles, was overseeing the work.[5][6]
The official opening of Moortown was commemorated with a challenge match involving James Braid and Harry Vardon in September 1910;[7] the event was originally planned for May[8] but was postponed following the death of King Edward VII.[9]
Tournaments hosted
Ryder Cup
| Year | Winning Team | Score | Losing Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 |  Great Britain | 7 | 5 |  United States |
European Tour
| Year | Tournament | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Car Care Plan International |  Mark Mouland | 272 (−4) |
| 1985 | Car Care Plan International |  David J. Russell | 277 (+1) |
| 1984 | Car Care Plan International | Nick Faldo | 276 (+2) |
| 1980 | Haig Whisky TPC |  Bernard Gallacher | 268 (−8) |
Amateur
| Year | Tournament | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Brabazon Trophy | Niall Kearney | 208* |
| 1999 | Brabazon Trophy | Mark Side | 279 |
| 1994 | English Amateur | Mark Foster | 8 & 7 |
| 1980 | English Amateur | Peter Deeble | 4 & 3 |
| 1974 | Brabazon Trophy | Nevil Sundelson | 291 |
| 1969 | Brabazon Trophy | Michael Bonallack Rodney Foster | 290 (tie) |
| 1962 | English Amateur | Michael Bonallack | 2 & 1 |
| 1957 | Brabazon Trophy | Doug Sewell | 287 |
| 1938 | English Amateur | Frank Pennink | 2 & 1 |
* – Event reduced to 54 holes because of adverse weather.
References
- Daily Mirror 26 April 1929
- Daily Mirror 27 April 1929
- Daily Mirror 29 April 1929
- "Another golf club for Leeds". The Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 November 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Club History". Moortown Golf Club. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- "Course History". Moortown Golf Club. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- "Opening of the Moortown club". The Standard. 26 September 1910. p. 10. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "A new golf club for Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 11 January 1910. p. 14. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Sympathy of the working Classes". The Yorkshire Post. 12 May 1910. p. 8. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
External links
- Moortown Golf Club official website
