Ganton

England's best golf courses are disproportionately concentrated on its coastlines, but Ganton stands as compelling evidence that inland golf can reach the same heights. Founded in 1891 on sandy heathland in the Vale of Pickering, the course sits between the Yorkshire Wolds and the North York Moors, 10 miles from Scarborough and well off the usual tourist routes. The ground is firm and fast, draining rapidly after rain and playing with a links-like quality that sets it apart from the heavy parkland courses that dominate much of inland England. It is this combination of sandy soil, strategic design and exceptional conditioning that has earned Ganton its reputation as England's finest inland links equivalent.

The bunkering is the defining feature of the course and the element that gives Ganton its championship credentials. Harry Vardon, who won six Open Championships and is the greatest golfer to have played out of Yorkshire, refined the course in the early 20th century. James Braid and Harry Colt followed, each adding their contribution to a layout that now contains over 100 bunkers placed with forensic strategic intelligence. The hazards are not decorative: they are positioned to reward the correct angle from the tee and to punish the line that looks safe but leaves an awkward approach. Golfers who arrive without local knowledge and assume that length alone will suffice tend to suffer.

The roll call of events at Ganton is extraordinary for a club of its size and location. The 1949 Ryder Cup, the 2003 Walker Cup, the Curtis Cup: championships that would be held at any links in the rotation have repeatedly found their way to this corner of North Yorkshire, a testament to the quality of the course and the respect in which it is held by the game's governing bodies. For golfers who have not yet made the journey, Ganton is one of the most rewarding discoveries in English golf.