Ilkley Eastside Wander #5: Golf Course East
This is the 5th of a series of 20 caches which takes you around some of the lovely countryside immediately to the east of Ilkley. The cache, a small camo-taped tablet pot, is hidden at the golf course eastern exit/entrance stile alongside a small trail running past Gib Field Farm. Please ensure it is correctly replaced and well concealed - thanks!
See GC8PCW2 Ilkley East Wander ~1: Intro and . . . Prick!? for information on the series and waypoints. See Gallery for an annotated map with cache locations and parking spots.
To reach the cache location:
If doing in sequence: from IEW#4, head down to the upper access gate for the golf course @ N 53 55.012 W 1 47.916 walk across and then down a grassy gully to join the trail heading east across the top of the golf course to the cache location.
If doing out of sequence: a) from P2, head west along the lane leading to Gib Field Farm, continuing past the buildings to the cache location, or . . .
b) from P3, head down to the gate at the top end of Ben Rhydding Drive @ N 53 54.760 W 1 47.543 (adjacent to IEW #12) and proceed north along the lane past IEW #11 to the junction (location of P2 and IEW #6). Turn left (west) here and continue as for a) above.
The golf club was formed in 1947 and the final land purchase by members was completed in 1980 with two new holes being created to form the course almost as it is today.
The clubhouse was extended in 1996-97 to provide new locker rooms and an enhanced clubroom. The American 'Fore' magazine nominated the course as one of the top ten 9-hole golf courses in the United Kingdom.
It is regarded as 'a unique course - but a tough old trek'. However 'the tough walking is compensated by the stunning views of Ilkley and the famous Cow & Calf rocks'. See here for a course flyover.