Halifax Golf Club

Overview: Halifax Golf Club, widely known simply as Ogden, plays across Pennine moorland north of the town in West Yorkshire. The course runs to about 6,300 yards to a par of 70, but it is the moorland setting, elevation changes and wind that make it a demanding test rather than raw length. Heather, rough grasses and open skies give it a rugged feel quite unlike the parkland courses in the valleys below. The change in height is not limited to the 17th: rolling ground repeatedly alters how much of the landing area a player can see from the tee.

History: The club was formed at a public meeting in the Mechanics' Hall, Halifax, on 30 March 1895 and first played on a temporary twelve-hole layout at Lightcliffe. In 1902 it moved to Ogden, opening with a 36-hole exhibition involving Sandy Herd and Harry Vardon. The course evolved with input from George Lowe, Herbert Fowler and Alister MacKenzie, and James Braid revised it around 1920.

Did You Know? The 17th, known as Baggot’s Leap, drops about sixty feet from tee to green over roughly 175 yards. The change in elevation makes club selection as important as judging the wind.