Goswick Golf Club

 

Situated in the North East of England, in the county of Northumberland, and set along the region’s coast, a designated area of outstanding beauty, Goswick Golf Club is only six miles from the historic town of Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Offering a pure fescue links, with fairways that deliver a lively bounce, and greens that roll fast and true all year-round, Goswick Links frequently hosts regional qualifying for The Open Championship. Goswick Golf Club provides an authentic links experience, set within a vast natural canvas of tumbling fairways, and rippled greens, and is a must play venue for golf enthusiasts. A warm and friendly greeting awaits visitors in the clubhouse, and with top class practice facilities open to guests, Goswick Golf Club is a fantastic destination to play at while enjoying a golf holiday with Scottish Golf Breaks. 

History: Opened for play in April 1890, the initial course at Goswick was a nine-hole layout. The course was subsequently extended to eighteen holes in 1894. While plans to build a clubhouse were discussed in December of that year. Goswick’s reputation rose quickly, boosted in 1901 when James Braid - just a few months removed from the first of what would become his five Open Championships - agreed to play a match against the best ball of Walter Rutherford and A.L. Miller, two of the club’s best players of that time. Braid prevailed, but the big winner was the club as the match attracted so many spectators.

The club struggled during the First World War, 1914-1918, but by 1930 had recovered sufficiently to proceed with an ambitious plan to lengthen and strengthen the layout. James Braid, whose reputation as a course designer now rivalled that of his playing prowess, was engaged to guide the transformation. Braid produced a detailed plan with recommendations for improvements to each of the holes, including extensive revisions to thirteen of them. The work was started without delay and was completed within two years. Braid’s masterful imprint on Goswick Links remains largely intact to this day.

Goswick’s steady rise was put on hold with the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. To ward off the threat of invasion, concrete blocks, pill boxes and barbed wire appeared all around the coasts to deter the landing of German troops by sea. The sand dunes at Goswick were no exception. Remnants of this defensive effort remain. Ultimately, play was suspended and the club offered use of its clubhouse to the Home Guard. Parts of the course, in particular the southern end, were requisitioned by the War Department to serve as a target practice area for rocket-firing Typhoons. As such, those holes soon became littered with thousands of clips and cartridges. After the war, it would take several years of hard work by the greenkeeping staff, assisted by members, to clear the debris. But it could have been much worse. If the War Department had taken over all eighteen holes, it’s entirely possible Goswick would have ceased to exist.

As the turmoil of war receded, incremental improvements to the course moved ahead. The most significant of these changes were implemented in the 1960s. For example, in 1962, the 18th tee was moved eastward by 100 yards to its current location, making for a more challenging finishing hole. Similarly, the tee on the 12th was taken back 36 yards and improved drainage removed the threat of flooding near the green. Then, in 1964, Frank Pennink - a top class amateur golfer - was consulted on how to lengthen the front nine. His contribution was the creation of two new holes, the present-day 5th and 6th. These changes are credited with ensuring that Goswick developed into a course of championship calibre and one of the premier courses in the north of England.

Goswick Links: Considered to be the best course in Northumberland and one of the finest links golf courses in England, Goswick Links and its sweeping shorelines offer panoramic views and championship golf of the highest order. Set upon a vast natural canvas, the course has crisp, sandy turf, cleverly placed rivetted bunkers and any number of holes to thrill visiting golfers. Offering year-round golf, on a natural links-scape, which is always brilliantly conditioned and presented, Goswick Links is a tough, yet enjoyable course. With fast running fairways, the wind to contend with and beautifully sculpted greens, it’s never an easy challenge, but always a pleasurable one. Goswick Links is an eighteen hole, par 72 (men & women) course. It has tees ranging from 5,523 to 6,848 yards.

SGB Signature Hole: Name: Pilgrim’s Way. Number: Hole 12. Measuring 365 yards (M) and 309 yards (W) from the tee this short yet tricky par 4 affords views towards Bamburgh Castle and Holy Island. However, from the tee-box the first priority is playing for position by finding a fairway which banks sharply from left-to-right. Only a shot to the extreme left side of the fairway, which is guarded by heavy rough, will afford a view to the green, otherwise the approach shot over a large mound will be blind. On the other side of the mound, there is a generous apron to the front of the green for those coming up short. Or if safely on the green in two, find two good putts for a par. Thankfully there are no bunkers to contend with on this hole. It’s tough enough already. Pray for a four and then get back on The Pilgrim’s Way.

Clubhouse & Practice facilities: The clubhouse lounge at Goswick Golf Club was opened in 1980 and recently modernised in 2019. Offering excellent hospitality in cosy, unpretentious surroundings, the clubhouse affords visiting guests a warm welcome before and after a round of golf. It is a fantastic place to enjoy food and a drink, while being served by the attentive staff team. (see food and dining section). The club openly welcome visiting golfers to use their members’ locker rooms and shower facilities. The pro shop: Goswick Golf Club has a well-stocked pro shop with a wide array of top brand-name apparel, shoes, equipment and balls, and exclusive items emblazoned with the Goswick logo. Buggies, manual and electric trolleys, and club hire are all available at the pro shop. Practice facilities: Goswick Golf Club have excellent practice facilities for visiting golfers. These include a full-size practice/warm-up facility with grass tees, a chipping area, a putting green and an enclosed swing studio, equipped with Trackman launch monitor technology.

Food & Dining: Goswick Golf Club offer a range of appetising catering options at The 19th Hole, within the clubhouse. A breakfast menu which includes filled rolls, a full English and vegetarian breakfast options, is served from 9 am and is available all day. While an extensive light bites and lunch menu are served until 5 pm. The well stocked bar in the clubhouse offers a wide range of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks, for visitors to enjoy before or after a round on Goswick Links.

Accommodation: SGB partner with a number of hotels in Carlisle, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, and Newcastle, covering the North of England, from the Cumbrian coast on the west, to the Northumberland coast on the east. Many of our customers travelling, by car, from central and southern England, choose to stop off in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, near the Scottish border, or Newcastle, Northumberland’s largest city, for a game of golf in the region and a night’s accommodation, before venturing further northwards onto Scotland’s eastern coast for the remainder of their golf break. Alternatively, many others stop off for a game in the area and then continue onwards into the Scottish Borders or East Lothian, where we partner with a number of hotels. In addition, we have partnerships with several letting agencies to ensure we provide a fantastic suite of accommodation options across Northumberland, the Scottish Borders and East Lothian. Whether you want to stay on a country estate, in a hotel, a luxury lodge, an apartment or a signature villa, Scottish Golf Breaks can arrange it for you.

 

Featured deal: 

 

Typical packages include:

• Accommodation in a hotel, lodge or signature villa
• A round at Goswick Golf Club
• A round at Dunbar Golf Club
• A round at Eyemouth Golf Club
• Dinner Reservations
• Full English/Scottish Breakfast
• Access to changing & locker-rooms, clubhouse and practice facilities 

 

Golf packages can be designed to your specification and group size, and can include alternative accommodation, additional courses across Northumberland, in England, and the Scottish Borders, East Lothian, and or other regions within Scotland.

 

Additional services:

• Airport or train station transfers (all sizes of groups catered for)
• Executive travel
• Caddie service

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