[Duncan Cheslett]

Interesting. Bingley St Ives is also one of the Alister Mackenzie Society’s member clubs, so I’d always assumed he was directly involved in the course.  Are there others reputed (or claiming) to have a connection that don’t?

I'm not sure how Bingley St Ives got to be accepted as a member of the Society. There are one or two on the list whose credentials appear somewhat tenuous but Bingley is the one that stands out as a complete impostor.


It doesn't mean that it isn't a decent course, though.

[James Reader]

Sean Arble will hate the drop shot 17th, which is a candidate for the most vertiginous descent on any UK course. There are a bunch of very strategic holes out there, which clearly show Mackenzie's hand. I didn't really appreciate it so much in my youth, but it is a course worthy of study and wider appreciation.

I took a friend who has a fear of heights to Ogden a few years ago.  He literally couldn’t tee his ball up on the 17th because of the drop in front of the tee, let alone hit a shot.  Pretty funny at the time - I seem to remember I claimed the hole for a 2 and 1 win!

Stephen Potter would be proud of you.  A fine example of the subtitle of his book "The Art of Winning Games without Actually Cheating "
Am watching with interest but sadly can't committ. Enjoy.

Perhaps not quite in the spirit of the game but I could justify it to myself on the basis that he’d have done exactly the same to me if the position was reversed!

[James Reader]

James


You're not missing much with Ryburn. It's a modest 9-hole (18 tee) course, with plenty of internal OOB. It does have one of the most bizarre par 3's you'll ever play though. The drop shot par 3 10th plays (in sequence) across the 4th fairway, a small forest and the 2nd fairway to a basin green sunken behind a large mound. Once you're used to that kind of quirk then nothing else can shock you.

I’ve been meaning to post a photo of the 10th at Ryburn ever since Robin posted this. Yesterday I finally got round to playing there on a decent day, so here it is (you can just make out the yellow flag under the right-hand bough of the tree).


Your description is spot on, Robin, although I suspect the central tree is a fair bit taller than it was when you started playing there.

[Robin_Hiseman]

James


Ryburn makes it onto golfclubatlas. I never thought I'd see the day.


The difference from my time is that you can see the 10th green. The woodland was younger, but it was a solid wall of vegetation. They've cut out the central section. You hit and hoped over the top, unaware if there was anybody on the 2nd tee hidden behind.


A lovely view down the Calder Valley over Sowerby Bridge to Luddenden Foot and Mytholmroyd.

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