Moortown Golf Club

Moortown Golf Club
Sign on Harrogate Road
Club information
Moortown Golf Club is located in England
Moortown Golf Club
Location in England
Moortown Golf Club is located in West Yorkshire
Moortown Golf Club
Location in West Yorkshire
Moortown Golf Club is located in Leeds
Moortown Golf Club
Location in Leeds
Coordinates53°51′25″N 1°32′06″W / 53.857°N 1.535°W / 53.857; -1.535
LocationAlwoodley, West Yorkshire, England
Established1909
TypePrivate
Total holes18
Events hostedRyder Cup (1929);
Yorkshire Evening News Tournament;
Lotus Tournament;
Silentnight Tournament;
Car Care Plan International;
Haig Whisky TPC;
English Amateur (4);
Brabazon Trophy (5)
Websitemoortown-gc.co.uk
Designed byAlister MacKenzie
Par71
Length7,001 yards (6,402 m)
Course rating74.8
Course record141

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.

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

Civic plaque commemorating the first Ryder Cup to be held in Great Britain
Year Winning Team Score Losing Team
1929 United Kingdom Great Britain 7 5 United States United States

European Tour

Year Tournament Winner Score
1986 Car Care Plan International Wales Mark Mouland 272 (−4)
1985 Car Care Plan International England David J. Russell 277 (+1)
1984 Car Care Plan International England Nick Faldo 276 (+2)
1980 Haig Whisky TPC Scotland 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

  1. ^ Daily Mirror 26 April 1929
  2. ^ Daily Mirror 27 April 1929
  3. ^ Daily Mirror 29 April 1929
  4. ^ "Another golf club for Leeds". The Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 November 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Club History". Moortown Golf Club. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Course History". Moortown Golf Club. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Opening of the Moortown club". The Standard. 26 September 1910. p. 10. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "A new golf club for Leeds". The Yorkshire Post. 11 January 1910. p. 14. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Sympathy of the working Classes". The Yorkshire Post. 12 May 1910. p. 8. Retrieved 31 March 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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