Headingley

Headingley Golf Club is the oldest golfing venue in Leeds, dating back to the 1890s, with the club moving to its current location around 15 years after that. 

Dr Alister MacKenzie was brought in and he developed two new holes – 16 and 17 – while the great Harry Colt also did some work on the bunkering of the course. 

Today, Headingley remains a tough test of golf that will see you use every club in the bag. Short par 3s, long par 5s and a little bit of everything in between, all in and around the Adel Beck. 

Visit Headingley’s website here. 

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Dating back to 1892, Headingley Golf Club can safely claim the title of being the oldest golfing venue in the city of Leeds. 

The club originally sat in Beckett Park – now the home to Leeds Beckett University’s Headingley Campus. Come the mid-1900s, the need to expand to an 18-hole layout saw the club move locations, to its current spot in Adel. 

Dr Alister MacKenzie, who had already laid out the nearby Alwoodley and Moortown, was drafted in. He developed and improved several holes on the new 18-hole layout, most notably the 16th and 17th, commonly regarded as the best two on the course. Harry Colt was also brought in to improve the bunkering on the course. 

In a completely rural setting the course enjoys many wonderful views and boasts many memorable holes which make full use of the varied and dramatic terrain. Although the course is presented in a traditional style, it has also been improved to meet modern standards and therefore will appeal to purists and modern golfers alike. The front nine is longer but the inward half is into the prevailing wind.  Rolling terrain and slick greens characterise this fine course, one that measures more than 6,500 yards from the tips. 

It begins with a tricky par 4 that seems much easier than it actually is. It moves downhill and slightly round to the right, and does not necessarily require drive off the first tee. The green sits below you and across a ditch which runs in front of the surface. The tee shot on 2 is also played over Adel Beck. There is also a ditch down the left side, with the tee shot played to one of the tightest spots on the course. The 3rd fairway, like that on 2, slopes from right to left. Bunkers are in play down the right side, and there is a grassy mound that runs across the fairway for the longer hitters as well. 

The 4th is a short dog-leg right which requires an accurate tee shot down the left side to provide the best angle to the green. Bunkers guard the putting surface, along with a steep run off at the back left of the green. OOB comes into play down the entirety of the left side on 5, another par 4 of more than 400 yards on this front nine. Three bunkers guard the green, with anything long also pushing the OOB behind the green. The first of the short holes comes at the 6th. An undulating green sits 175 yards away, with the wind direction being the key factor here. This could be anything from a low iron to a fairway wood depending on the wind. 

The 7th is the first par 5 at Headingley, and it is a brute at 550 yards from the tips. Moving slightly from right to left, heather cuts into the fairway at the 260-yard mark, which will make it a three-shotter for most. It is followed with the second par 5, but the 8th is gentler at just 499 yards. From an elevated tee box, you can try and get it out there as far as possible to make the green reachable in two. A pair of bunkers protect the green, which will feel small if you’re coming in with a fairway wood. The final hole on the front nine is downhill which makes it play less than its carded 405 yards. A ditch runs down the left side, with another hazard then in front of the putting surface, one that has a false front, so make sure to take enough club to reach the top. 

The back nine at Headingley begins with the first of a trio of par 3s on the closing half. It is 175 yards, and played to a green that is protected by three bunkers in front, and thick rough behind. The 11th is a testing par 4, one with OOB running down its right side. You then move slightly infield from the OOB wall with your second, an approach played over a water hazard and sand to try and find the surface. At 456 yards, it is no surprise that the par 4 12th is one of the toughest holes on the course. Bunkers sit on the right side, and then a stream cuts across the hole with 60 yards to go, and then runs down the right of the green. However, play it right, and you can come away with no worse than a bogey on a hole where you will get a shot! 

The 13th is arguably the toughest of the par 3s despite only being 148 yards. It plays at least two clubs uphill and is at the mercy of the wind at all times. 14 is the last of the three par 4s at Headingley, and at 505 yards, it is one that the longer hitters will fancy their chances on. The miss on the approach is to the right, which is where the 15th tee sits. Anything left of the green runs the risk of being lost in the long grass. Four bunkers add to the difficulty of the approach. 15 is another of Headingley’s testing par 4s. It is 440 yards, and although it is relatively straight, the three large bunkers by the green will certainly catch your eye. 

The closing stretch takes you to the two holes that MacKenzie is known for at Headingley, the 16th and 17th, commonly regarded as the best two on the course. The former is a short par 4 to a green divided into four areas by the contours and the latter a spectacular short hole where the green is surrounded by the designer’s trademark bunkering. The course then finishes with a great dog-leg par 4, with the tee shot being played over a ravine and Adel Beck once more to find the fairway. There are two large trees – one on either side of the fairway – that might block your view of the green for the second. The approach is slightly uphill, so make sure you take enough club to find the putting surface.

Where is Headingley Golf Club located?  

Headingley Golf Club is situated to the north of the Yorkshire city of Leeds. The city centre is around five miles south of the venue, with the club sitting next to the A660, which runs from Leeds up to Burley in Wharfedale. 

The nearest train station is at Horsforth, which is a few miles to the west of Headingley Golf Club. Trains run through Horsforth towards Leeds, Harrogate and York. For international visitors, Leeds Bradford Airport is within a five-mile drive of Headingley. Manchester Airport, the busiest airport in the UK outside of London, is around 50 miles west of the golf club.

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

The main trio of Leeds venues – Alwoodley, Sand Moor and Moortown – are all within just a couple of miles of Headingley Golf Club. Fulford, York’s finest venue, is 30 miles to the east. 

What golf facilities does Headingley Golf Club offer?

The club has recently opened a brand-new short game facility, which allows shots of around 80 yards to a couple of greens, both of which are bunkered. There is also a large putting green and a pair of practice hitting nets to aid a warm-up prior to taking to the course.

What are the green fees at Headingley Golf Club?  

The price of a green fee at Headingley 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 Headingley, visit their website here.