Having opened its doors in 1997, today The Longhirst Club offers one of the North East’s premier golf experiences
In 2026, The Longhirst Club – formerly Longhirst Hall Golf Course – announced major changes to the business as the team looked 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.
With a view to improving the quality of the on-course offering while continuing to offer golf to local people at an affordable price, in April 2026 the golf offering reverted 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.
For the full story of the changes, and what the future holds for Longhirst, click here.
The Longhirst Club, Morpeth, NE61 3LL, tel 01670 791 562, www.longhirstgolf.co.uk
