GOLF


River Wharfe, is hard to beat. The river provides a natural water hazard and a challenge to all golfers; coming into play on eight holes, it has wrecked many a scorecard. But the beauty of the river is one of the Club’s biggest assets and creates unique holes like the par three 3rd which is situated entirely on an island with the river meandering down both sides of the hole. Ilkley Golf Club lies at the southern


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n a beautiful summer’s day, a round of golf at one of Yorkshire’s oldest golf courses, in a picturesque setting along the banks of the


boundary of North Yorkshire, just outside the town of Ilkley in West Yorkshire; the River Wharfe forming a natural boundary between the two counties. It was founded in 1890 and is the third oldest golf club in the historic county of Yorkshire.


In 1898, as golf started to grow in popularity, work began on a new course alongside the River Wharfe, one of the fastest rising and falling rivers in the country. Today’s course is mainly a tribute to the combined architectural skills of Alister MacKenzie and Harry Colt. As you might expect, the biggest problem in the winter months is flooding. The club


suffered major flooding last year with the water levels on the course as deep as six feet in places. Head Greenkeeper Duncan Campbell tells me each flood brings problems, but the main issue is the amount of silt left behind on the greens, tees and fairways that have to be cleared up once the flood subsides. “Clean up comes with practice, and we do have a system in place that we have developed over the years,” begins Duncan. “We start with the greens. This, for us, usually means pressure washing the silt out of the greens with the drain jetter that has an adaptor for the power washing. Other methods we use are running the


Ilkley Golf Club Wharfe factor one


In the winter, the number one problem at Ilkley Golf Club is flooding. The course, which nestles in the lovely Wharfe Valley, is situated in a flood plain. With the UK experiencing a significant increase in heavy rainfall, flooding has become more frequent in recent years. Lee Williams met with long-serving Head Greenkeeper Duncan Campbell to discuss how he manages the course after the floodwaters have receded


26 PC February/March 2021


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