Ganton

Located in North Yorkshire, England, the Ganton Golf Club is one of the oldest clubs in England .

History of the course

Golf was first played at the Ganton Golf Club in 1891, when the club was opened. The course was designed by Tom Chisholm of St Andrew's Club. Though the ground was very rough and covered with a variety of wild flowers and grasses, the sandy sub-soil was ideal for building a golf course. In 2005 the course was redesigned thoroughly by four members of the club. Subsequently the course was upgraded over the years by eminent designers like Harry Colt (1907, 1911 & 1931), Dr Alister McKenzie (1912 & 1920), Tom Simpson (1934) and CK Cotton (1948 & 1952).

Bent and fescue grass has been mostly used while laying the fairways, which in turn gives you a firm base while taking your shot. The course is scattered with impenetrable gorse and the 100-odd bunkers that are placed at strategic positions which will penalize you heavily if you land up in them. This feature has been retained over the years contrary to the modern trend of reducing penalty for landing in bunkers.

Course Trivia

• The Ganton Golf Club has hosted many professional and amateur championships.
• It has also hosted the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup.
• The fourth hole is probably the toughest in the course. You need to drive the ball over a gully and also have to avoid a bunker on the right side of the green.

The Ganton Golf Club is the 42 nd best course in Golf Digest magazine's list of Top 100 Golf Courses outside the US in 2005. As we continue on this tour we will learn about the other top-100 golf courses in the world.