Bentham Golf Course Review

With the Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire's second biggest mountain (Ingleborough) as a backdrop, Bentham Golf Club enjoys a perfect setting for its family run parkland layout, which has kept members and visitors alike interested with undulating greens, elevation changes throughout and, of course, the stunning scenery. 

A group of gentlemen first played golf in Bentham in 1922, which then consisted of only five holes at Foot Park, which is between Bentham and Ingleton. Later that year they moved the club to its current site at Bentham Moor and Bentham Golf Club was born. 

After much deliberation, it wasn't until the mid 1990s that the club purchased some further land to develop another nine holes and turn it into a full 18 hole course. 

Now owned by the local Marshall family and since their acquisition in 2009, the club has seen further development of the course, the added driving range as well as the luxury lodges and glamping pods. A refurb and update of the clubhouse also took place, along with the addition of the 1922 Bar & Kitchen which is open to both golfers and non golfers. 

Pre-Round Thoughts

We received a lovely welcome from Sophie in the pro shop, who gave us a little run down on the course and some points to look out for. The shop itself is well stocked with some lovely crested apparel and accessories for those proud members and excited visitors. 

A nice little driving range is next to the first hole which offers a perfect chance to loosen up before your round, with the putting green also between the range and first tee. 

Front 9 Overview

From a slightly elevated tee, the 1st hole is a gentle opener with a tight feel to it. The line of trees up the left hand side - which separates the 1st from the 18th - and the driving range down the right hand side protects the fairway, with your approach being played into a slightly elevated green. 

The par five 2nd, hitting up the hill to a blind fairway, leaves a daunting second shot as the hill rolls back down towards the green, which may also be blind depending on how far up you hit your tee shot. The old stone wall running down the right hand side of the fairway - these walls feature a bit around Bentham - signal some OOB so anyone having a go in two will need to be mindful. 

To finish a great opening three holes is the par four 3rd. From a slightly elevated tee, this is a classic risk reward par four in the sense that it might be reachable for most golfers - depending on wind direction and the tee you choose to play from. 

The white tee is 293 yards, but elevated, and the yellows and red sit closer to 250 yards. As you hit down, the green is well protects by bunkers so it will still take a solid shot to find the putting surface. 

A great dogleg par four finishes off the front nine - turning 90 degrees from right to left, the longer you are the more of the corner you can take on. But the water hazard that sits on the corner needs to be avoided. The green has some severe slope on it, especially around the front and is slightly elevated, so any full shot that comes up short may be rolling back a fair too too. 

Back 9 Overview

The back nine starts with a cracking little par three over some water - and again, from an elevated tee. Just 141 yards from the white tee, club choice and distance control will be vital in making sure the water is covered, but too much club will leave a devilish chip back onto the green which falls away from back to front. This would be a lovely hole to make an ace!

Another solid hole follows at 11. Another dogleg right to left but this blind fairway plays towards clubhouse. Heaps of room on the right hand side if you're trying to stay away from the trees up the left hand side, but the approach to the green could be to a mid to long iron. 

From the fairway, the hole falls away sharply and comes back up to the green, giving the illusion that the second shot plays a lot longer, but again, similar to the ninth hole, anything short of the green won't stop rolling back down for quite some time. 

With OOB running up the left hand side of the par five 14th hole, big hitters will once again fancy their chances of getting onto the green in two, and if you're in play from the tee, it's well worth having a pop as you play up to the green with the mountain peak once again in full view. 

The 18th is a lovely finishing hole - but a stroke index of four means it also needs to be respected. A tighter fairway, with OOB right and the trees left, the hole falls away the full 400 yards from tee to green, and the temptation is to try and give it a good whack and see how far down you can go, but anything offline either side will be punished. 

The lovely two-tiered green sits just in front of the clubhouse and the patio area is a popular spot for those that have already finished. Your onlookers will watch with baited breath to see how you finish your wonderful experience of golf at Bentham Golf Club. 

Post-Round Thoughts

Bentham was a really enjoyable golf course. The combination of the course, scenery and accommodation ticked pretty much every box. 

The bar was friendly and offered great food and drink options with a gorgeous view looking back down the 18th hole. 

We visited in mid-March, and after a heavy winter were warned the course may not be at its best, but were pleasantly surprised with how dry it was after just a few days of sun. You are in the Yorkshire Dales, so any break or visit during the winter months and the course will naturally be wet in areas. But during the golfing season and drier weather the course will be in great shape. 

The layout is great for golfers of mixed ability. 6,000 yards off the whites and 5,400 off the reds, the nice mixture of shorter and longer holes should offer something for everyone, regardless of ability, and you will probably need to be really wayward to lose golf balls here. 

Giving the natural elevation changes throughout the course, those with less mobility may lean towards a buggy to get around which would be recommended. 

Verdict

To sum up Bentham Golf Club - it's a great parkland layout, offering members and visitors of all ages and ability a fun test of golf, with excellent scenery and superb on-site accommodation. Packaging all this up together, you have yourself a great spot for a golf break and one that shouldn't be overlooked. 

Accommodation

What also sets Bentham apart from others is the fantastic on-site accommodation.

These consist of an array of luxury lodges, which sleep from four to eight people, and a selection of glamping pods overlooking the ninth green that make Bentham a great place to stop for a night or two. Breaks here start from £170 per person for one night and two rounds of golf. 

We stayed in the glamping pods and these were a fantastic addition to our trip up to Scotland and a stopping point halfway. 

The access is easy and the pods were well equipped and super comfy. The sunrise over the mountain peaks was also an added bonus. 

The nature of the golf course means it can also be enjoyed by golfers of mixed ability, making it a great spot for a few days away with your friends or family.  

For more information, please visit https://www.benthamgolfcourse.co.uk/.

Overall Rating - 8

Course (Conditions) - 8

Course (Hole Variety/Layout) - 8

Course (Green Condition) - 8

Course (Challenge/Difficulty) - 7

Club Facilities & Clubhouse - 8

Practice Facilities - 7

Friendliness/Hospitality - 10

Pace of Play - 9

Value For Money - 10