A Change For The Better – 5 Golf Clubs To Have Moved Home In Recent Times

It would take a great deal for a club with the design pedigree of Alister Mackenzie to move home, but such was the demand for golf and better facilities at the time that this is exactly what Moor Allerton decided to do in the mid 1960s. World-leading architect Robert Trent Jones Senior was engaged to design what would be his first course in the country, an expansive 27-hole layout on the site of Blackmoor Farm, three miles to the east of its then home.

There are three loops of nine, each surprisingly different from its Top 100 near-neighbours at Alwoodley and Moortown. The architect’s trademark bold statements are present throughout with dramatic bunkering, large undulating greens and plenty of water.

For all but the very longest hitters, the four par 5s are genuine three-shotters, as are one or two of the par 4s! The signature hole is the picturesque par-3 17th which plays over the babbling Barbon Beck, and this is an idyllically peaceful place for a game of golf. Kirkby Lonsdale is one of the best golf courses in Cumbria.

A short drive to the south of its namesake Dublin port, the 27 holes at Dun Laoghaire are blessed with a beautiful, modern parkland setting that is far removed from the club’s original links roots. Sensibly cashing in on the boom in housing, the club relocated to enjoy its brand new Martin Hawtree design in 2007.

Each nine has its own and different challenges, with strong anc very visual bunkering throughout. The elevated nature of the Upper leads to panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and the Wicklow Hills,…