The Longhirst Club has announced major changes as it looks ahead to a bright future as an 18-hole golf club
As it moves into its 30th year, The Longhirst Club – formerly Longhirst Hall Golf Course – has announced major changes to the business as the team looks to secure and build on the legacy of founder Tommy Dawson.
When Tommy, who started North East-based travel agent Dawson & Sanderson in 1962 in Ashington, created Longhirst he had a simple vision – to provide high-quality golf to local people at an affordable price.
Shaped from the former Butterwell opencast mine, which was once the largest man-made hole in Europe, the original course brought together the Northumberland landscape and Tommy’s love of golf courses in Florida.
In time, an additional 18 holes were built – with 11 opening in 2003 before seven more were added in 2008 as the Old Course was divided into the Dawson and Lakes layouts. Both would go on to host the EuroPro Tour, with Longhirst hosting a total of nine tournaments on the circuit. Meanwhile, the standalone clubhouse was built in 2007, with the floodlit driving range opening in 2014. In 2024, at the age of 92, Tommy passed away peacefully, leaving behind a tremendous legacy in North East business and golf in the region.
Throughout Longhirst’s successful period of growth, which also included the creation of the busy academy and the expansion of the membership to become one of the largest in the North East, balancing the quality of the golf offering and its price became more challenging for director of golf Graham Chambers.
“When we were presenting the course, we knew we left work out there every Friday night,” said Graham, Tommy’s son-in-law, who joined the business in 1995 as a 28-year-old and has led the Longhirst team for more than 30 years.
“We knew we could get the course to a seven out of 10, but we wanted more. I knew what was possible with the right team. We always had the potential to deliver the high-quality golf experience Tommy dreamed of.
“With two courses, delivering a nine out of 10 product was not achievable for the price point we had to stay at to be true to Tommy’s vision of affordable golf for local people.
“So, working closely with [assistant director of golf] Billy [Kingsland] we came up with a plan to put the business on the front foot and deliver the most exciting changes we’ve seen in a long time.”
The changes at the rebranded Longhirst Club are already underway. On April 4, the golf offering will revert to the original, 18-hole Old Course.
A layout created by Tommy and Barry Poole, it is comprised of the easternmost 18 holes on the site.
“The oldest holes are the ones which Tommy played the biggest role in, and the ones which present the best example of golf at Longhirst,” added Graham. “Being the oldest, they are also the most established, which gives us the best opportunity to enhance the golf offering at speed.”
The move to a single 18-hole course will focus the greenkeeping team’s efforts and resources into a single product. Following the move, there has been no change to staff numbers.
Another key element in the future of Longhirst was the appointment of John Scurfield as golf course and estates manager in early 2026.
A highly respected greenkeeper who arrived at Longhirst having led the on-course teams at Morpeth and then Alnmouth Village in the last 10 years, John has followed Longhirst’s journey for many years.
“I’ve known John and respected his work for a long time,” added Graham. “We’d talked about working together one day, and as Billy and I developed our plans for the future, there was one man I knew could deliver our vision. Throughout the recruitment process, John’s passion for golf courses shone through and I know that he can lead our team in delivering the high standards we want Longhirst to be known for.”
“It’s fantastic to finally be at Longhirst, a business and club I’ve followed closely for many years,” said John. “What has impressed me most in the first few weeks has been the energy and passion in the greenkeeping team. It’s a fantastic squad and I know that together we can achieve something very special here.”
Following John’s arrival and the move to one course, members of Longhirst have already begun to see changes.
Following the spring maintenance programme, an overhaul of the irrigation system will take place. The team – led by John, Graham and Billy – will then explore enhancements to the golf course. These are set to include a major bunker renovation and remodelling project, tree thinning and repositioning, and improvements to the architecture of several holes beginning with bunkering on the par three third.
“I totally agree with Graham when he says Longhirst has long been capable of seven out of 10 in terms of presentation and couldn’t take the next step without a major lift in funding for greenkeeping,” added John. “We have a plan in place to immediately address fine turf conditions, and get the greens up to the next level with improved maintenance and increased inputs of topdressing this season. We must also improve the irrigation system as that comes back online. We’ve also begun delivering more training for the team and will continue to build their skills rather than relying on outside contractors.
“From there, we’ll begin the work which really impacts the bones of the golf course – adjusting playing lines and strategic challenges to enhance the layout and move it forward. I’m excited for what the future holds.”
With the announcement of the changes came many questions, from members of Longhirst and the wider public, and Graham and Billy have worked hard to address these and explain why these decisions have been made to deliver an experience Longhirst members can be proud of.
“Our membership – the people who have made Longhirst the amazing, friendly place it is – is who these changes are for,” said Billy. “Over the years, Longhirst has been known as a course or a venue for golf rather than a club. With the name change and the enhancements to the membership experience, we want to deliver something people are proud to be part of and create a club which they can feel is a home from home.
“I spent a long time with Tommy, and I know how important members were to him and what he wanted Longhirst to be. With the move to one course, members are our priority. We’ve already begun reducing our reliance on external events and focusing everything around delivering what members want.”
“All our discussions begin with the member experience,” added Graham. “While we will still host events and tournaments, we can now be far more selective and choose events which enhance what we do and showcase what our members get to enjoy throughout the year. We’re proud of everything we’ve done over the last 30 years and this process is all about refining that.”
One of the events Longhirst will continue to host is the Northern Golfer Champion of Champions in September, which brings together male, female and junior club championship winners from across the region. The club will also host carefully selected tournaments, and the team is keen to explore hosting nationally significant amateur and professional tournament golf in the future.
With the changes to the business comes many more opportunities, though Graham is keen to stress that only one major development – the construction of a padel centre in the car park – is confirmed.
“The padel centre is a huge coup for us and something we’re very excited to add to the offering on-site,” said Graham. “I know there have been rumours of all sorts of things happening, but right now we have no planning for any construction and no detailed plans for anything other than the improvements to the golf course and golf facilities. We’re open to lots of ideas and excited about the potential, but right now our focus is on the golf course.”
As well as the on-course improvements, the academy at Longhirst is set for an upgrade.
Following the introduction of Toptracer technology on the driving range, the facility is set to be remodelled to create new target greens, while the short game practice area will be redesigned and significantly improved.
“The potential of the academy is incredible,” said Longhirst’s head teaching professional Paul Fiddes. “We have a thriving junior programme, and extra facilities will only attract more golfers to Longhirst and enhance their practice sessions. We already have one of the best junior girls in Europe [Charlotte Naughton] attached here, and with the on-course improvements and academy upgrades, we’re in a great position to support more talented players.”
Meanwhile, in the clubhouse, a refurbishment is underway, and the food offering has been improved. Work is also underway to convert the starters’ hut into a halfway house.
“Having received our members’ feedback survey in 2025, we heard that the clubhouse was dated and we prioritised getting that up to scratch,” added Billy. “We also knew our members wanted more food choices, covering healthy and more traditional golf club offerings, and we’ve delivered that for the start of the 2026 season.
“In the grand scheme of things, these are small improvements, but they are all based on member feedback, and we want our members to know they have a voice in the future of The Longhirst Club and can be proud of it.”
“Thinking back to the scarred landscape we started with and the work that went into hand-planting 42,000 saplings in an open space with views across to the A1, where we are today is remarkable,” said Graham as he looked ahead to the future of the business.
“From my first conversations with Tommy, through to some of my last conversations with him, what he wanted Longhirst to be didn’t change. The business and game of golf have changed enormously, but everything we’re doing now is guided by Tommy’s vision and our passion for securing and building on his legacy.
“These changes give us clarity on our priorities, finance, staffing and maintenance. We now have one clear objective – excellence.
“We couldn’t be more excited to see what the next few years hold. With our team and our members onboard, I’ve got no doubt the next 30 years will be just as exciting as the first 30.”
