Moortown Golf Club Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info

Moortown Golf Club has a classic urban heathland course offering a fascinating history and one of the most characterful clubhouses you’ll find.

Moortown Golf Club Course Review
Moortown Golf Club 9th hole
(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

Top 100 Courses UK & Ireland 2023/24

(Image credit: Future)

Moortown Golf Club Key Information

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Row 0 - Cell 0 Row 0 - Cell 1
AddressMoortown Golf Club, Harrogate Road, Alwoodley, Leeds, LS17 7DB
Phone Number0113 268 6521
Websitehttps://www.moortown-golf-club.co.uk
Emailsecretary@moortown-gc.co.uk
Green Fees£75 - £150
Visitor TimesTelephone or email the club for availability
Par71
Slope Rating141 (Blue), 140 (White), 133 (Yellow), 146 (Women's Red)
OpenedFrom 1908
Designed byDr Alister MacKenzie
Golf Monthly Verdict

Moortown clubhouse

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You’ll really feel as though you’ve been challenged when you've finished up at Moortown. It’s a tough and often unrelenting course due to its length and the hazards, but it does offer a good selection of teeing options depending on your handicap. Overall, it's a thoroughly enjoyable heathland test of golf. Very peaceful, despite being surrounded by urbanity.

REASONS TO PLAY MOORTOWN GOLF CLUB

– Classic Alister MacKenzie design

– Great heathland layout just a few miles from Leeds centre

– Historic club, venue for 1929 Ryder Cup

RANKINGS

UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2023/24 - 68

Moortown Golf Club is packed to the gunnels with history, character and tradition. It was the venue for the first Ryder Cup match to be held on British soil, back in 1929. Despite the USA being strong favourites, the home side triumphed in that contest by 7 points to 5.

Over the years, the club has played host to countless championships, including the English Amateur Championship and the Brabazon Trophy. It's one of the very best golf courses in Yorkshire.

Bobby Locke, Henry Cotton and Bernard Gallacher have all won professional events at Moortown.

One of the most remarkable things about Moortown is the peace and serenity to be found on the fairways despite its proximity to urbanisation. Apart from the occasional sound of traffic you’ll easily forget you’re just off the A61, only minutes from the centre of Leeds.

The course is a classic English heathland layout. The original design was by the great Dr Alister MacKenzie in 1908.

Large undulating greens and deep bunkers are evidence of his contribution.

With heather, birch trees, burns and bushes to contend with, a round here requires precision and careful strategy. The club has worked hard on the course in recent years and made a number of improvements, particularly to the par-3 4th. They also added several new teeing grounds.

There are many excellent holes at Moortown, but the 10th “Gibraltar” deserves special mention. MacKenzie built the green into a rocky slope and the natural contours send any shots slightly off target towards the gaping bunkers left and right of the putting surface.

Following the 10th, the next four play up-and-down alongside one another on a plateau, featuring the lovely par-4 11th, gettable par-5 12th and the charming par-4 13th.

The finishing hole is a tough one, doglegging right and slightly uphill towards the clubhouse with bunkers to avoid down the right and thick moorland rough down the left.

The clubhouse is a real classic oozing history and character.

m12 fairway bunker

The par-5 12th hole

What The Top 100 Panel Said

James Holland UK&I Top 100 panel
James Holland

Wonderful consistency and fantastic design.  From the first hole all the way through to the 18th, there are no clear weak holes and lots of very good holes. The bunkering is stunning, both visually and in consistency. A friendly welcome and although they do play a lot on being a Ryder Cup venue, that can't be a bad thing. An excellent overall experience.

John Winter UK&I Top 100 panel
John Winter

I visited shortly before The Yorkshire challenge. This is a club on a mission with a plan to return the course to a fine heath/moorland championship venue in keeping with MacKenzie’s vision. Actions speak louder than words and their actions speak volumes. Ganton maybe a bigger course, the Berkshire is prettier, but Moortown has a rugged and unique character all of its own

Moortown Golf Club Location

Moortown Golf Club Green Fees

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Apr & Oct 2023 midweek£100
Apr & Oct 2023 weekend£120
May to Sep 2023 midweek£130
May to Sep 2023 weekend£150
Nov 2023 to Mar 2024 midweek£75
Nov 2023 to Mar 2024 midweek£85

Contact the club through their website to make a booking

Moortown Golf Club scorecard

Moortown Golf Club scorecard

(Image credit: Moortown Golf Club)

Moortown Golf Club Course Review

Best Courses Near to Moortown Golf Club

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<a href="https://www.golfmonthly.com/courses/top-100-courses/alwoodley-golf-club-course-review-60590" data-link-merchant="golfmonthly.com"">ALWOODLEY

The first design project of surgeon-turned-course architect, Dr Alister MacKenzie, has remained in our top 60 since day one. It boasts attractive bunkering that performs the dual role of strategy and aesthetics as well as anywhere, and far-reaching vistas, with clearing work in recent years bringing a more open feel once more.

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<a href="https://www.golfmonthly.com/courses/uk-and-ireland/headingley-golf-club-course-review-134906" data-link-merchant="golfmonthly.com"">HEADINGLEY

Set in rolling countryside five miles from the centre of Leeds, Headingley makes the most of its dramatic terrain and enjoys many wonderful views. You rarely have a flat lie and the 16th and 17th, both Alister MacKenzie masterpieces, mean that the climax of your round is a special one.

Headingley offers something that is just that bit different. With its eclectic mix of holes and kept in fine condition, the course has great variety and the welcome is warm and genuine.

For all the best courses in the area, check out our guide to the best golf courses in Yorkshire.

Best Places to Stay Near Moortown Golf Club

Radisson Blu Hotel Leeds City Centre - Book now at Booking.com
A great location in the centre of Leeds. This is a comfortable hotel with fitness facilities and swimming pool. Dine at the on-site FireLake Grill House and Cocktail bar, which features an open kitchen crafting grilled specialties, unique starters and handcrafted drinks. It's five miles from Moortown GC.

Headingley Lodge - Book now at Booking.com
Stay with a view out over Headingley Stadium cricket pitch - A superb location for sport lovers. And the rooms are comfortable and well-appointed to boot. It's a real experience to stay, effectively in the stadium. There's good parking too.

Moortown Golf Club Course Gallery

Moortown Golf Club Historical Top 100 Ranking UK&I

  • 2023/24 - 68
  • 2021/22 - 66
  • 2019/20 - 63
  • 2017/18 - 60
  • 2015/16 - 60
  • 2013/14 - 68
  • 2011/12 - 66
  • 2009/10 - 60

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Moortown Host the Ryder Cup?

In 1929 Great Britain, led by George Duncan, took on the USA, captained by Walter Hagen, at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds. The Americans were favourites but the home side prevailed by 7 points to 5.

What other significant events has Moortown hosted?

Moortown has played host to the English Amateur Championship, the Boys Amateur Championship, the English Ladies Championship, The Ladies British Amateur Open Strokeplay, the Brabazon Trophy and the Home Internationals amongst other amateur events.

It has also been a venue for Regional Qualifying for The Open Championship.

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?