Worldwide Golf

 YORK is one of the most beautiful and historical cities in England and with a multitude of wonderful courses to suit all standards within easy reach, it’s a great place to enjoy a golf break.
The most famous is probably Fulford Golf Club, home in days gone by to such prestigious European Tour events as the Martini International, The Sun Alliance Matchplay, the Murphys Cup and the Benson and Hedges International.
The likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Sam Snead have all grabbed headlines here over the years and it’s a stern challenge even for the world’s best.
Situated just a mile outside the city centre, the course was designed on sandy heathland by Major Charles McKenzie, brother and partner of Dr Alistair McKenzie, the celebrated architect of the world famous Augusta National and Cypress Point layouts.
Measuring 6,779 yards from the back tees the par 72 track winds its way through an avenue of trees, one of which will forever be remembered for an incident at the 1981 Benson and Hedges International. As Bernhard Langer played his approach to the 17th his ball became lodged in the branches of a large ash tree. Rather than take a penalty drop, the German decided to climb the tree and play the ball from where it was stuck. To the amazement of the crowd, the ball landed on the green and a plaque on the tree now commemorates the feat.

Off Course
YORK itself is a wonderful city and well worth a visit for a taste of historical England at its best. While catering for every modern whim in terms of restaurants, designer shops, bars and cafes it has retained a huge amount of its heritage with beautiful ancient buildings and monuments in abundance.
In fact, when walking down many of York’s winding cobbled streets it would be easy to believe you’d been transported back in time some 300 years. The city, which is housed inside the original Roman city walls, is a popular tourist attraction with hundreds of thousands of visitors flocking there every year to soak up its rich history.
The majestic York Minster provides the centrepiece with its striking peaks and vast acreage of medieval stained glass. The great east window, measuring 186 square metres, is thought to be the largest area of stained glass in the world while the Minster itself took some 250 years to build.
The Yorvik Centre is a great interactive journey through the city’s Viking past, with moving narrated capsules that take you through a recreation of how it would have looked. Housing more than 15,000 objects from the Viking period, the Yorkiv Centre, which takes its name from the Viking name for the city, is an internationally recognised archaeological treasure trove.
The York Dungeons are also great fun. Actors in full historical costume lie in wait to pounce on you as you take a spine-chilling walk through a recreation of ‘Old York’. You’ll encounter killers like Dick Turpin, Guy Fawkes and the Plague and watch as a torturer shows you her favourite pain inflicting implements.

York’s long history and the multitude of old buildings that remain standing make it a hotbed of ghostly activity and it’s known as one of the most haunted cities in the UK. Several enterprising individuals have capitalised on this with nightly ghost walks through the city’s shadowy snickelways and ginnels as well as the many haunted pubs.
Aside from the vast array of attractions to keep you busy in York, you can quite easily lose yourself for hours wandering through the famous Shambles – a tangle of narrow cobbled streets filled with tea rooms, pubs and arty shops. 
All in all, for a perfect combination of golf and history you can’t go wrong with a trip to York.

On Course Guide
York Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the city. Formed in 1890 it moved to its current site in Strensall in 1904 where J.H. Taylor designed a very open, almost links-like course. Today the fairways of the par-71 6,301-yard layout are framed by trees while the course retains its natural heathland and heather heritage, providing a good test for all levels.

Located only a mile and a quarter from York City Centre, Heworth Golf Club offers another interesting challenge to golfers of all standards. It’s an easy walking parkland course consisting of 11 holes, with some holes played twice from alternative tees.

Forest Park Golf Course is a relatively new kid on the block as far as golf in York goes but the stunning 27-hole parkland complex has fast made a name for itself. The 18-hole par-71 Old Foss Course measures 6,673 yards and is known for its large greens and narrow, tree-lined fairways. The course features its very own ‘Amen Corner’ with holes 10, 11 and 12 (rather than 11, 12 and 13) providing a particularly strong test with the Old Foss Beck meandering its way across the course and creating a natural hazard.
The 9-hole West Course also has a lot to offer with its blend of long and short holes, which require a good deal of course management.
The complex also had a full range of modern coaching facilities as well as a driving range. 

Middlethorpe Hall
AMONG the vast array of fine hotels, B&Bs and Guest Houses suitable for all budgets, Middlethorpe Hall is among the very best. Backing on to the famous York Racecourse and highly convenient for the city centre, the William III country house, built in 1699 and once home to the renowned diarist Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, is set in some 20 acres of lush parkland and beautiful gardens. Once a stately home, Middlethorpe Hall’s varied history saw such incarnations as a girls’ boarding school and a nightclub before being restored to its former glory by the Historic House Hotels company in 1980. As you walk through the grand entrance into a large, inviting hallway you are faced with the imposing and exquisitely designed staircase, which forms the focal point in the Main House. Period features and furnishings run throughout, while helpful staff are on hand to cater to your every need in a typically English genteel manner. Bedrooms can be found in the Main House, the Courtyard or in a selection of cottages and garden suites. We stayed in the Main House and the rooms were magnificent with large beds, a writing desk and huge sash windows overlooking the immaculate gardens. Nice touches such as complementary champagne and strawberries on arrival add to the opulent experience, while certain rooms house beautiful four-poster beds. There are a wide range of options for breakfast with the traditional full English a popular and highly recommend choice, while the morning room overlooking the lush grounds is a delightful setting in which to enjoy a meal. There is a pool and fully equipped Spa in the grounds, perfect for relaxing after a hard day at the course, while the hotel is also a popular business destination with a range of conference rooms and facilities. With its blend of history, luxury and Olde English charm, Middlethorpe Hall ticks all the boxes if you’re planning a visit to York.

Related Links
www.middlethorpe.com
www.visityork.org
www.yorkpass.com