Course of the Week - Alwoodley

In the second of our new series, we highlight the excellent and welcoming Alwoodley. If you are in the area at the weekend make sure you get down there for a game – we have all the information you will need.

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Welcome to... a true hidden gem. Yorkshire is renowned for its magnificent inland tracks and Alwoodley certainly rivals its often more famous neighbours. The turf on the rolling fairways is a delight to hit from, springy yet not soft. While gorse, and heather provide protection and undulating, sizeable greens plus strategic and striking bunkers will make any golfer tremble.

Course lowdown: The layout is principally an out and back one. There is an interesting feature around the turn as from holes 7-11 you do not play a par 4. The toughest stretch, however, comes as you return towards the clubhouse with the last six holes playing into a prevailing wind. From the 13th to the 18th there are four par 4s over 400 yards, creating an uncompromising finish.

Green fee: £70wd, £85we

History: On January 24 1907, 14 men met to discuss the formation of a new golf course on the edge of Wigton Moor, just north of Leeds. Among the group was a GP called Dr Alister MacKenzie. The latter was the club's first secretary and would go on to become one of the world's most eminent course architects, creating masterpieces such as Augusta and Royal Melbourne. It being MacKenzie's first job, a man named Harry S Colt was brought in to help him.

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