Tyneside Golf Club has completed work to preserve its historic clubhouse and opened a new memorial bridge commemorating member Mark Ryder.
The extensive work to preserve the wooden clubhouse, built in 1911, has been managed by Patrick Ward Limited with painting completed by Dunningham Decorators.
Peter Smith, general manager at Tyneside, said: “Our clubhouse is one of the few remaining wooden pavilion-type golf clubhouses in the country and preserving it is incredibly important. The club’s mission statement is to cherish ou r history and embrace change, and the preservation of this 110-year-old building does just that.
“The redecoration has been the biggest part of the project and secures the clubhouse’s future for many years to come, while the new colour scheme looks fantastic – particularly when it’s lit up at night. We’re pleased we could embark on the project and we’re delighted with the outcome.
“We are now looking to enhance the interior of the clubhouse while continuing our programme of work on the golf course, and we look forward to continuing to build on what we can offer our members.”
Meanwhile, the club has also officially opened the Mark Ryder Memorial Bridge. The bridge commemorates Mark, a member at the club who died in 1991 aged just 20 following a battle with cancer. A talented golfer, Mark is remembered fondly by many members at Tyneside, as is the event setup in his memory – The Mark Ryder Cup – which saw the club’s juniors compete against juniors from Castlerock Golf Club in Northern Ireland biennially from 1993-2019.
The bridge was officially opened by Mark’s father George – a honorary member of the club – along with members of his family.
George said: “It’s fantastic to see the bridge in place – an honour few people get at their home golf club – and to have my family here to see it officially opened. Mark is remembered fondly by many members at Tyneside and The Mark Ryder Cup fostered many longstanding friendships between Tyneside and Castlerock juniors over the 26 years it was played for. The Castlerock Crystal continues to be played for annually at Tyneside and will continue to recall Mark’s memory along with the fabulous bridge which will serve as a lasting tribute to him.”
