After sampling the delights of Bridlington Links last month, Andy Mortimer returns to the north east of the region to play Bridlington Belvedere Golf Club . . .

The Bridlington Belvedere clubhouse

Rarely have two courses in one town ever been so different. Bridlington Links Golf Club, reviewed in last month’s Journal, was, I found, a wild, windy sea-view course, with long, wispy links grass and barren fairways.

Bridlington Belvedere Golf Club, however, located in Belvedere Road, on the south side of the town, is the antithesis of its younger sister. A pretty parkland, it is more mature – at more than 100-years-old – prettier, shorter and in almost every way possible, a total contrast.

Director of golf at Bridlington Belvedere, Anthony Howarth, explained to me what the course was all about. “Bridlington Belvedere is a very mature members’ course,” he said as he warmed up on the first tee just outside his small pro shop.

“We celebrated our centenary in 2005 and it’s a pretty parkland course all year round.

“It’s built with the members in mind so it’s fairly flat, the rough isn’t too taxing or too long, and the distance is just about right at a snip under 6,500 yards.”

And it all looked very inviting to me. Hilderthorpe Hall, which forms the newly-extended clubhouse, looked stunning in the early morning sunlight and, although much of the grass was still covered in dew, it looked lush and green.

The first hole we teed up on was a 346-yard, par-four. It is the fifth easiest on the course with just a couple of bunkers either side of a wide fairway and a pretty spacious green.

And as Anthony and I hit our first shots of the day, he explained to me what a golfer needs to succeed on the course.

He said: “The first nine holes are where you need to score because from the turn onwards, the course really toughens up.

“But the important thing is to have a good short game because it’s around the greens where you really have to concentrate.

“You can have all the distance you want off the tee but, if you can’t putt well and read our sloping greens, you will struggle to score.”

If I’m honest, these were not the words I was hoping to hear. A sweet striker of the ball off the fairway and tee, I’m nothing special once I’m on the green. In fact, if there was an award for the man who can repeatedly putt six feet past the hole, I’d be up there with my acceptance speech in hand.

With this in mind, I hit my second shot towards the green begging for a nice hop and a skip towards the hole. I didn’t get it and, instead, left myself with a lengthy 30ft

putt . . . not quite what I wanted.

“You’ve got quite a putt there,” laughed Anthony.

“Be careful because although the greens don’t look like they are going to slope much, they always do. And they are in great condition and quite fast at the moment as well.”

I won’t bore you with the details but, after being on the green for two, I walked away with a six. I needed to improve and, thankfully, the next few holes would give me that chance.

“These first holes will give you the chance to score before you get to our own ‘Amen corner’, so make the most of them,” said Anthony.

An attractive water feature

The second hole at Belvedere is a lovely little par-three, at 135-yards, and one I really enjoyed. It was, however, outclassed by the third, a perfect 326-yard par-four, surrounded by trees and soft, fluffy bunkers.

I enjoyed the challenge of picking my way around and being as intricate as I could, rather than just blasting it from the tee and hoping for the best. So far I was impressed and when I got to the seventh, things became even better.

“Over the sixth, seventh and eighth holes we are playing over the old Hilderthorpe medieval village,” says Anthony.

“English Heritage came down recently to examine the area and it’s one of the best preserved in the country, which is great, but it does mean we can’t do much to the holes in that part of the course.

“What we’ve tried to do instead of bunkers and trees, however, is to add long grass and utilise the natural undulations caused by the village remains.”

And simply because it is so different, it was an area of the course I really enjoyed playing.

On the seventh, I shot rather shoddily into the long grass on the right but with my second found the fairway and had an enviable shot from a small dip, over a 5ft-high mound and to the green below. A lob wedge helped my escape and I looked back on a truly unique golf hole.

Relaxing into my round, I endeavoured to learn a little more about my playing partner, Anthony, a golf pro, Bridlington born and bred.

“I started playing golf at 10-years-old but I was also mad keen on rugby union as a child,” the burly pro said.

“I was a member of Bridlington Rugby Union Football Club and in the junior Yorkshire team playing as a second row. This took me away from golf for a while but I was off a three handicap when I was just 13.”

Anthony eventually turned pro aged 17 but admits he never really practised enough as a youngster.

He said: “A lot of people saw potential in me but I was never one to hit 1,000 balls a day and practise all the time.

“I could have perhaps gone further in the game but playing rugby – and the social side of the sport – was also important to me.”

Andy under the watchful eye of professional, Anthony Howarth

Despite never focussing 100 per cent on golf, Anthony has still taken part in a few events over the years, most notably finishing in the top 10 of the Danish Open in 1992. A year later, Anthony was back home and a golf pro at Bridlington Belvedere. He says the course has improved immeasurably since then.

He said: “The course just seems to get better every year.

“There are no two holes the same and the greens are constantly improving to the point where we have some of the best in the county – I certainly don’t see many better away from here.

“It’s always in good condition as well and we are rarely closed, even during winter, which is a huge boost.”

One thing I had certainly noticed by the mid-way point of the round was the fact there are simply no straight holes. Almost every hole, par-four or par-five was a dog-leg and if that doesn’t test your control off the tee, nothing will.

Ironically, considering this, my favourite hole was the fairly straight par-four 14th. At 385-yards, it’s one of the longest par-fours on the course, with a pond to the front-right of the green one of the most taxing. I was in two minds as to shoot for the green with my second or lay up and take my chances putting for a par rather than a birdie.

I was eventually persuaded by Anthony to go for the green and, despite landing it almost perfectly in the middle of the pond – I have a talent for that, too – it was a hole to savour.

Further memorable holes come at the 15th and 16th, which incorporate one of the greatest views in golf – over Bridlington Bay.

And walking in at the last, I could see why this is such a popular members’ club. It’s flat, easy to walk, not too hard to play and, most importantly, enjoyable to get around.

With a strong social side, it has easily become one of my favourite parkland courses in the county. Saying that, of course, I did play it with almost no wind. I’m not sure I could have coped with that!

Steve Raybould has just taken over as golf professional at Bridlington Belvedere and is offering golf coaching sessions for beginners upwards.

Verdict: Bridlington Belvedere is the perfect members’ golf club. It’s not too long or hilly and is picturesque all year round. The stand-out holes are the par-four seventh, par-four 14th and par-three 16th with the view over Bridlington Bay.

Bridlington Belvedere is in Belvedere Road, Bridlington, YO15 3NA. For more information, call: (01262) 606367 or visit: www.bridlingtongolfclub.co.uk

Membership fees: Full playing male, £520; full playing female, £485; full playing husband and wife, £975; five-day male, £460; five-day female, £450; five-day husband and wife, £895; junior under-16, £50; junior 16-18, £90; junior 18-21, £140; 21-25, £200.

Green fees: 18 holes, Monday to Friday, £25; 18 holes, Saturday, £32; 18 holes Sunday after 2.30pm, £15; all day Monday to Friday, £32; all day Saturday, £40. Winter woolly, 18 holes and full English breakfast for minimum four people, from £15 each. Available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 9.30am to 11.30am, from November 1.