Cleveland

Cleveland Golf Club is just about as far north as you can go in Yorkshire without leaving the county, sitting on the North Sea coastline just outside Redcar.

The club is the oldest in the county of Yorkshire, having been founded in 1887. Harry Colt designed the original layout, with Donald Steel adding a trio of new holes in 2000.

Host to several big amateur tournaments, the course runs along the coastline of Redcar Beach, and pushes towards the 7,000-yard mark.

Visit Cleveland’s website here.

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Established in 1887, Cleveland Golf Club is not just the oldest club in North Yorkshire, but the entire county of Yorkshire as a whole.

The design owes at least something to Harry Colt, while Donald Steel created three new holes in 2000 when the club's lease on the land nearest the town expired and they lost their existing 1st and 18th. While it is a shame those holes were lost – especially as nothing has been done since with the land they stood on, and you can still see where the holes ran – Steel made good use of some excellent land near the sea.

Over the years, it has hosted the English Golf Union County Finals and the Yorkshire County Team Championship among many other big amateur events.

Cleveland involves a backdrop of industry - in this case, a steel works that closed in recent years. Plus, the first four holes are flanked by warehouses and scrapyards. In places, the club have accepted payment for landfill and used it to create dune-like hills and block out undesirable views. The steel works, which may be pulled down before too much longer, actually provide quite an atmospheric backdrop. Back in the day, they used to belch smoke over the links, which didn't exactly enhance Cleveland's reputation. It is almost 7,000 yards of genuine links, and one that will test the ability of all golfers.

Following those additions from Steel, the opening hole is now a par 3 of 170 yards from the tips. Three bunkers guard the green, but it is a tricky first shot. The next four holes feature two long par 5s and two tough par 4s. Both 2 and 4 will be three shots for most, as both holes come in at more than 540 yards from the back tees. Neither has any fairway bunkers in play off the tee, while the 4th has a ditch running down its left side. In between sits the most difficult hole on the front nine, the 440-yard 3rd. The green is long and narrow, and requires an accurate shot. After changing direction, the 5th comes back to the east, and is an arrow straight par 4. At 427 yards, and with four pot bunkers – two on the fairway and two by the green – it is a tricky hole.

If the first five holes are all excellent links fare, Cleveland really gets going from the 6th onwards. 6 is a par 3, one played to a green some 165 yards away and guarded by four pot bunkers. The 7th is the Stroke Index 18, but that doesn't mean it is too simple. The fairway is generous, but the green is small and has two traps as protection. The long 8th exemplifies what the Cleveland is all about. It's a dead-straight par 5 with the bunkering kept to a minimum but just enough to ensure that you never get a free pass. It has the signature steelworks as a backdrop, it's largely flat and it's entirely honest. The final hole on the front side is the third of the par 3s. At 200 yards in length, it is also the longest of the four on the course, and once again, it is a small target that you are playing towards.

The back nine begins with five straight par 4s, culminating in the Stroke Index 1. The first of those, the 10th, is the easiest of the lot. At 380 yards, as long as you can avoid the two fairway bunkers, you’re in with a short of making birdie. 11 and 12 both play as slight dog-legs to the left, with the former having a split fairway. The 12th plays around a ditch, but it would have to be a big pull to find the hazard. Two bunkers on the left side off the fairway must be avoided if you are to find the green on the 400-yard 13th, with the most difficult hole coming at 14. At 430 yards, and playing as a dog-leg left, it is a very tricky prospect. How much of the corner do you try and take on with your drive?

The last of the par 3s comes as the 15th, and although there are no bunkers to see, it is a small putting surface, and a tee shot that must be played over a waste area to find the green. 16 is only 350 yards in length, but with three fairway bunkers on the left side, and plenty of thick stuff on the right, accuracy is the key from the tee. The penultimate hole is a dog-leg left. Three bunkers sit on the inside corner of the fairway, and the longer hitters will aim over those. There is a ditch down the right side, and anything pushed too far away from the bunkers could well find that small hazard. The final hole is a par 5 of 510 yards and offers players one final scoring opportunity. Playing as a slight dog-leg left, there is one fairway bunker to avoid, and then just one bunker by the green. It is a narrow putting surface, so anything coming in from distance must be really accurate.

Where is Cleveland Golf Club located?

Cleveland Golf Club is in Yorkshire – but only just. You have to go as far as north and east as is possible without leaving the county. You'll find yourself in Redcar and Cleveland is to the north of the town on the banks of the Teesside Estuary. The course run alongside Redcar Beach, with the North Sea to the east. The city of Middlesbrough is less than ten miles to the west of the golf club.

Redcar Central is the closest train station, less than a mile from the entrance to the venue. Trains run from Darlington to Saltburn via Redcar Central on a regular basis each day. Both Newcastle International Airport and Leeds Bradford Airport are around an hour from Cleveland Golf Club, while Manchester Airport, - the biggest airport in the United Kingdom outside of London – is around two hours to the southwest.

Are there any NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?

There are a number of venues within an hour from Cleveland, in opposite directions. Seaton Carew is on the opposite side of the Teesside Estuary, around half an hour to the north. Alwoodley, Moortown, Ganton and Fulford – four of Yorkshire’s finest – are within a 90-minute drive from Cleveland.

What golf facilities does Cleveland Golf Club offer?

Along with the glorious championship links on the North Sea coastline, Cleveland also offers both members and guests a great driving range, one that offers covered, matted tees to hit from. The range sits alongside the 2nd hole, and there is also a short game area with a pair of greens, one of which has two bunkers to practice sand escapes from. There is also a putting green next to the 1st tee.

What are the green fees at Cleveland Golf Club?  

The price of a green fee at Cleveland Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Cleveland Golf Club, visit their website here.