Moortown Golf Club may be home to one of Yorkshire and England’s great inland golf courses, an Alister MacKenzie masterpiece and a place of Ryder Cup folklore. But for me, it has always held a more personal significance.
You see, Moortown – and its excellent general manager Peter Rishworth – was the first club to welcome me in, the first to trust me to write about its fairways and foibles and the subject of the first article ever published on this site.
My return to Moortown was no ordinary adventure, then. I felt I was going back to a place that will always mean a little more to me and as I made my way across Yorkshire, through Leeds and towards Moortown, I felt a delightful sense of familiarity as I turned left down the narrow driveway and waited for the busy and bustling streets of north Leeds to melt away. You see, as soon as you pass through the gate at Moortown Golf Club, you enter a place of peace and stillness. And while so much will always remain as it has been here, quite rightly, this is not a place that is frozen in amber. Moortown has always looked to the future, every bit as much as it has celebrated its past.
A return to Moortown Golf Club
Memories of that first visit came flooding back almost instantly — the sense of history that lingers in the clubhouse, the quiet hum of stories that have been told here since 1929, when the Ryder Cup crossed the Atlantic for the very first time. Moortown doesn’t shout about its history; it doesn’t need to. The echoes of Hagen, Sarazen and Cotton are woven into the fabric of the place. But returning years after my first steps onto its fairways, I was struck by how carefully the club continues to evolve and move forward.
The MacKenzie routing, of course, remains timeless and speaks for itself. But sympathetic refinements, updates and thoughtful restoration both on the golf course and off, ensure this is a place of constant improvement, vibrant and alive. Not staid and stuffy. And it’s in this balance — between permanence and progress — that the real magic and character of Moortown is found.
Improvements as 2029 approaches
A walk past the 1st tee and the practice putting green, towards the extensive range area revealed the first changes since my last visit. The 1st tee itself has been levelled to the millimetre and extended back to allow the championship tee to link up with a new raised putting green. The whole entrance now feels sharper, more connected, more complete and those moments before the first tee shot is struck can so often set the tone for a day or a round – let’s face it first impressions always matter. Being able to have a putt and then walk straight onto the championship tee is to feel the stage set for what lies ahead.
The opening stretch is an excellent introduction. The par-5 1st may be a gentle, welcoming handshake, but the bunkering, particularly around the green means par or better is far from guaranteed. If the 1st is an arm around the should, the long par-4 2nd is jab to the ribs, just to make sure you are paying attention. It requires two excellent shots to a green which slopes from right and left. It’s often one more club than your rangefinder might suggest.
Majestic Moortown goes back to the future
Moortown Golf Club, though, begins to move through the gears on the 5th, an excellent strategic short par-4. It’s fair to say on my last visit, this was a hole which divided opinion, having been allowed to drift from Mackenzie’s original design. The Dr’s original intention was to reward the golfer who could draw one against the natural camber of the fairway to leave an open angle to the green, which was protected by a large bunker to its front right.
Over the years, though, trees, growth and the introduction of two new fairway bunkers to the outside of the hole, had changed that original vision for the hole. Architect Clyde Johnson has, however, returned it to its former glory and what he has left behind is a teasing, strategic gem that restores MacKenzie’s original intent, reintroducing the risk-reward element which tempts golfers to flirt with the natural ditch running down the left, its line defended by a trio of new bunkers that lure players to take on the bold carry while punishing the faint of heart. What stands before me today, is a playful but exacting short par-4, one that once again embodies the mischievous spirit of MacKenzie and asks every golfer to make a choice: safety or glory!
Moortown’s Ryder Cup centenary
It’s a theme throughout our round, with Moortown working to restore as much of MacKenzie’s original vision as possible, using old photographs and plans for inspiration. Not only is it a wonderful way to prepare Moortown for a record sixth hosting of the 72-hole Brabazon Trophy in 2026 but there is surely no better way to celebrate the centenary of its hosting of the Ryder Cup in 2029, than by looking to the past for inspiration for the future?
The newly restored sand scrape between the 10th and 12th is another excellent example. I recall that it may have looked overgrown with gorse and slightly forgotten on my last visit to Moortown. Now it feels alive again, the way MacKenzie must have intended, the bunkers along the right flank of the iconic par-3 10th – Gibraltar – have been reshaped and its edges sharper than before. The rear bunker on the 9th has been reworked too, still sporting its three bays and two fingers, but with subtle tweaks that make it both fairer and fiercer, while reinstating MacKenzie’s original backdrop for the hole and proving a sand scrape which is now wonderfully visible from various parts of the course. It’s an eye-catching feature that has added something special.
A Question of Origins: Alwoodley or Moortown?
This square mile of Yorkshire is rich in golfing pedigree. Were Alwoodley and Moortown Golf Clubs to be located in Surrey or Berkshire, they may well be spoken about in the some tones of reverence as the likes of Sunningdale, Swinley Forest and St George’s Hill. Both bear the indelible mark of MacKenzie, who went onto design Augusta National and Cypress Point. But this was where his genius took flight. Alwoodley, designed with input from Harry Colt, was MacKenzie’s first project after the GP expressed a desire to try his hand at golf course design. An experiment which went pretty well. Moortown, though, was his first solo design. Writing in The Fairway magazine in 1929, MacKenzie wrote: “Moortown is one of five courses adjoining each other. The best of these is the first one I made, namely, Alwoodley.”
Having played both in the same week, I find myself understanding the rivalry more keenly. Alwoodley may have been the Doctor’s first, but Moortown feels pure MacKenzie — more daring, more distinctive, even if you come away feeling Alwoodley perhaps has the better holes. Both are truly wonderful. Thank your lucky stars they are not in Surrey or Berkshire because they well be priced beyond your reach. For now, though, they may represent the best value heathland golf anywhere in the world. And the Americans are beginning to take notice and travel here to discover them for themselves.
Moortown Down the Years
The genesis of Moortown Golf Club was the vision of Fred Lawson-Brown, a non-golfer inspired by the beauty of Ganton while on holiday in 1903.
After years of searching, the Blackmoor site was chosen in 1908. It was boggy moorland in need of draining, but it offered the scale and canvas MacKenzie required. Walking through the old clubhouse again, I imagined the founders debating whether a local doctor could really build a golf course. I smiled at the thought of MacKenzie proving them wrong with the par-3 10th, Gibraltar, the single demonstration hole that won him the commission.
Standing on the Gibraltar tee myself, I felt the same nerves I did years ago. It’s only a short hole, but the rock beneath and the bold tiers of the green give it an aura that makes the hands tighten a little on the grip. It’s a wonderful test.
A wonderful finishing stretch
The par-4, 15th is another memorable moment in the round. Mackenzie was a huge lover of The Old Course, St Andrews, which viewed – as many do – as the best golf course in the world. And perhaps the 15th at Moortown, if you look closely, is Mackenzie’s love letter to The Home of Golf. The left-to-right camber of the fairway, coupled with the clever bunkering and the importance of angles into the green all make it a hole where every yard, in one direction or another, has a consequence for your approach and, therefore, your score.
Donald Steel, Ken Moodie and, more recently, Clyde Johnson have all shaped Moortown in different eras — yet much of MacKenzie’s genius remains untouched. The par-3s, in particular, are magic. Five in MacKenzie’s original routing, four today, they highlight his gift for variety, strategy and beauty. The worst of them, it was once said, would be the best on many inland courses. It is a feeling I find myself agreeing with wholeheartedly. The 17th is one such example but it’s the par-4 18th which catches my attention on my return. A new bunker at the back of the green is a new and really unusual feature. Gone is the gorse that was once here and in its place, a classic MacKenzie feature that allows you to find your ball and have a chance to recover.
The Ryder Cup of 1929
It’s hard to stand on these fairways without hearing echoes of the 1929 Ryder Cup. I thought of Walter Hagen striding down the 18th, Gene Sarazen plotting his way round, Henry Cotton announcing himself to the golfing world. You can almost picture the galleries in their flat caps and heavy coats, gathering in their thousands to watch golf’s greatest spectacle cross the Atlantic for the first time. The contest was tight, hard-fought, and fiercely patriotic.
Britain, led by captain George Duncan, took on an American side captained by Hagen and packed with stars. Sarazen, already a major champion, brought flair. Cotton, still in his twenties, represented Britain’s youthful promise. The crowds leaned in on every shot, straining to catch a glimpse of their heroes. When the final putt dropped, the scoreboard read 7–5 to Britain. The cheers carried far across the Yorkshire air, a roar that resonated beyond golf and beyond these fairways. For the British players, it was validation. For the Ryder Cup, it was ignition — proof that this fledgling contest could stir passion and pride on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Ryder Cup has since, of course, grown into one of sport’s greatest spectacles, but its European story began here, on the heathland of Moortown Golf Club. To walk these holes today is to feel part of that story — a reminder that golf’s greatest team event was once just an idea, made real on this piece of Yorkshire turf.
Moortown Golf Club in perfect harmony
Today, Moortown Golf Club continues to walk the line between past and future. The echoes of MacKenzie are everywhere — in the sweeping bunkers, in the strategic doglegs, in the rolling greens that still confound approaches in the way he imagined more than a century ago. And yet, under the care of modern architects like Clyde Johnson, Moortown Golf Club has refused to become a museum piece. It looks ahead, refining itself for the next generation of players, ensuring that its reputation is carried forward not only in history books but in the lived experiences of those who tee it up here today.
What struck me most on this return visit was how comfortably the club blends its traditions with its willingness to evolve. In the newly updated bar area, Ryder Cup memorabilia sits alongside photographs of recent club champions. Out on the course, MacKenzie’s original lines meet subtle modern touches that keep the challenge alive. This duality — reverence for the past, commitment to the future — is perhaps Moortown’s greatest strength.
As I walked off the 18th and covered the few short steps towards the clubhouse, I felt the same sense of gratitude I did on that very first visit. Moortown showed faith in me and seeing it now — evolving yet timeless — I realised it has a way of giving to everyone who comes. It gives you history, it gives you beauty, it gives you a challenge. But above all, it gives you the feeling that you are part of something bigger — a story that began with MacKenzie and the Ryder Cup and continues, quietly but powerfully, every time another golfer sets foot on this heavenly piece of heathland. Enjoy.
Moortown Golf Club Scorecard
Moortown Golf Club: Key Facts
- Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
- Founded: 1909
- Course Opened: 1910 (exhibition match with Harry Vardon & James Braid)
- Architect: Dr. Alister MacKenzie (first solo design)
- Course Type: Heathland characteristics
- Par: 71
- Length: 7,001 yards (championship tees)
- Signature Hole: 10th – Gibraltar (par 3)
- Notable Tournaments: 1929 Ryder Cup (first held in Britain), English Amateur Championship four times (1938, 1962, 1980, 1994), Brabazon Trophy six times (1957, 1968, 1974, 1999, 2009, 2026), and R&A Boys’ Amateur on six occasions.
- Nearby Courses: Alwoodley (1 mile), Ganton, Fulford, Lindrick
Moortown Golf Club: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is the history of Moortown Golf Club?
Moortown Golf Club was founded in 1909 after Fred Lawson-Brown, inspired by a visit to Ganton, decided Leeds needed a course of similar quality. Alister MacKenzie was commissioned to design it, and the course opened in 1910 with an exhibition match between Harry Vardon and James Braid.
Which came first, Alwoodley or Moortown Golf Club?
There is a long-standing friendly rivalry. Alwoodley, designed with input from Harry Colt, was MacKenzie’s first design project, but Moortown was his first solo commission. MacKenzie himself clarified in 1929 that Alwoodley came first, though Moortown cemented his reputation.
What is special about the Gibraltar hole at Moortown?
The par-3 10th, known as Gibraltar, was the prototype hole MacKenzie built to showcase his skill before being given the full Moortown commission. Perched on a rocky base with a multi-tiered green, it remains one of the most distinctive one-shotters in England.
How much of Alister MacKenzie’s design remains at Moortown?
Most of MacKenzie’s routing still exists, though there have been changes: new holes were added at the 6th and 7th, the original 12th (“Moor Top”) was lost, and the 17th altered from a short par-4 to today’s par-3. Later architects such as Donald Steel, Ken Moodie and, most recently, Clyde Johnson have overseen refinements, but the MacKenzie character is still unmistakable.
When did Moortown host the Ryder Cup?
Moortown hosted the 1929 Ryder Cup, the first held outside of the United States and the second ever. The British team included Henry Cotton, Abe Mitchell and Percy Alliss, while the Americans brought stars like Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Horton Smith. Britain triumphed 7–5.
What type of course is Moortown Golf Club?
Moortown is a classic heathland layout celebrated for its wide fairways, strategic bunkering and rolling greens that were among the first inland in Britain to mimic links contours.
What are the green fees at Moortown Golf Club?
Visitor green fees at Moortown vary by season and day. Expect rates in the region of £100–£150 for 18 holes, with reduced rates for county cards and reciprocal visitors. It is best to check the club’s website for up-to-date pricing.
Is Moortown Golf Club private or can visitors play?
Moortown is a members’ club but visitors are warmly welcomed on weekdays and some weekends. Advance booking is recommended, especially during the summer months.
Where is Moortown Golf Club Leeds located?
Moortown Golf Club sits in Leeds in Yorkshire, a mile from Alwoodley and within easy reach of Ganton and Fulford. It’s a classic heathland layout designed by the legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie.
Moortown Golf Club membership — how do I apply?
While full 7-day membership for men is currently at capacity, the club is accepting applications in the following categories.
- Women’s 7-Day & 6-Day (excludes Saturday)
- Seasonal Academy Programmes for Women
- Limited Junior opportunities
- Limited Country & Overseas opportunities
How do I contact the club about Moortown Golf Club membership?
All membership enquiries should be marked for the attention of the Club Secretary/Manager, including a short introduction and brief golfing history, to office@moortown-gc.co.uk
Moortown Golf Club membership fees — what do they cost?
Membership fees vary by category and are reviewed periodically. For the latest Moortown Golf Club membership fees, email office@moortown-gc.co.uk
with your category of interest.
What are Moortown Golf Club green fees for visitors?
Green fees vary by season and day. Expect a premium visitor rate at peak times, with occasional concessions (e.g., county cards/reciprocals). For the most accurate Moortown Golf Club green fees, check directly with the club or email office@moortown-gc.co.uk
What does a Moortown Golf Club scorecard look like?
There is one in this article. Moortown plays to Par 71 (6,500 yards) from the championship tees.
Is Moortown Golf Club open to visitors?
Yes. Moortown is a members’ club that welcomes visitors on weekdays and selected weekends. Advance booking is recommended, especially in summer.
