A new trail aimed at the travelling golfer has been launched to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Pennine Way to prove that the game is not a good walk spoiled.
The Pennines Golf Trail, showcasing five scenic courses in the foothills of England’s mountain spine, aims to attract golfers from home and abroad who appreciate scenic beauty as they line up their putts.
Straddling both sides of the Pennines in Lancashire and Yorkshire, the trail has been designed so visitors can choose to play all the courses over a week, while enjoying some of the legendary northern hospitality along with some fine local cuisine.
The five clubs in the group are Clitheroe GC, Woodsome Hall GC, Huddersfield GC, Manchester GC and Pleasington GC. The cluster provides great value for money, as well as a rich variety of golfing experiences.
Clitheroe Golf Club, situated in the beautiful Ribble Valley just south of the popular market town, is a relatively flat yet classic James Braid design giving a great test of golf, while Woodsome Hall, near Huddersfield, clings to a hillside providing an excellent challenge for golfers of all levels with accuracy and thought being the key to success. Woodsome has an added attraction for visiting golfers – a soon-to-open dormy house with eight twin-bedded ensuite rooms, and a sitting and drying room. Nearby Huddersfield GC, often known as Fixby, is steeped in history. Its championship course has staged many top events, and is recognised in Golf Monthly’s Top 200.
The Manchester Golf Club lies close to the city but this Harry Colt designed championship course provides extensive views of the West Pennines. It is predominantly moorland in character with heathland and parkland features.
Pleasington, near Blackburn, has a memorable variety of holes set in a combination of mature parkland and natural heathland comprising heather and wonderful turf. All the greens have been extensively drained giving year round playability.
The new trail is the latest initiative of Golf Tourism England, www.golftourismengland.com , a membership body launched last year to bring together English golf courses, tourism operators, accommodation providers and leisure attractions to jointly market the nation’s fabulous golfing heritage.
Its CEO, Andrew Cooke, said: “GTE has been pursuing a regional strategy of encouraging clusters of clubs to work together to create a golf tourism offering, and it is particularly pleasing that these five splendid courses from two different counties, naturally linked together by the Pennines, have decided to collaborate in such a positive way. Visiting golfers will be delighted by the quality of golf on offer and amazed by the value for money.”
Golfers interested in exploring The Pennines Golf Trail or enquire about bespoke group booking should contact locally-based tour operator Golf Tours International through its website www.golftoursinternational.co.uk
The Pennine Way was established 50 years ago as the first major long distance walk in Britain stretching for 267 miles from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish border. It has seen been walked by thousands of people and remains close to the hearts of all those who cherish the beauty and rich variety of the English uplands.