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Club History

Harrogate Golf Club was formed in May 1892. The Club’s first course was a 9 hole layout at Birk Crag to the north of Harrogate.  In 1899, the Club’s landlord, the Duchy of Lancaster opened a slaughterhouse close to the original clubhouse, therefore, the Club relocated to a site owned by the Slingsby Estate at Belmont Farm near Starbeck, officially opening in May 1899.

The Huddersfield Club professional, Sandy Herd who had also designed other Yorkshire courses including Pannal and Wakefield, set out the Club’s original 18-hole layout. Harry Colt subsequently recommended rerouting the course with inner and out loops of 9 holes, and the great Alister Mackenzie is also credited with designing the 17th green. The resplendent tree lined fairways include several 450 year-old English Oaks, that were part of the ancient Forest of Knaresborough.

Over its long history, Harrogate Golf Club has gained a very well respectedreputation throughout the country, having hosted National Championships and regularly staging Yorkshire County events.

The Vardon Trophy

In 1908 The Open Championship was held at Prestwick where it was won by James Braid. Immediately following The Open and to mark the extensions to the Harrogate clubhouse, a special exhibition was held at the Harrogate Golf Club: Following the exhibition match Harry Vardon, one of the greatest names in the history of the game had a plaster cast taken of his famous hands which was kept in Percy Hill’s professional shop until it then passed to Harry Crapper and then to his son Jack Crapper who gifted it to the club in 1978.
The Vardon Grip Trophy, a 36 hole amateur men’s competition is now held annually in August Yorkshire Order of Merit