Northern Golfer’s Dec 22/Jan 23 edition is out now

Our final edition of 2022 is here, and as always, it’s time to reflect on the year and celebrate the region’s many golfing successes.

If we can isolate North East golf from everything else that’s gone in 2022 (if only!) it has been a fantastic year. For the first time, a player from our part of the world has cemented their status on the world’s biggest golf tour – and Callum Tarren is having a blast in the US. There’s also lots to celebrate on the DP World Tour as well – as you’ll read in our catch up with Andrew Wilson and Garrick Porteous.

One of the most difficult stories to follow this season has been that of our Tour Life columnist Chris Paisley. I’ve been lucky to follow him closely for a decade now, and to read his thoughts monthly through his column. The way he has recorded his thoughts while battling his game in 2022 has been fascinating and I can’t thank him enough for his commitment to being so open and honest with us. His latest column is a must-read.

Our region’s female golfers continued to shine internationally, led of course by Women’s Amateur champion Jess Baker. Her success, along with players including Rachel Gourley, Jess Hall, Maggie Whitehead, Charlotte Naughton and Faye Wheatley – to name just a few – continued to fill our pages throughout the year and I look forward to writing about them again in 2023 and beyond.

After two years of fractured seasons and disjointed lives, it was good to always have the consistency of golf to fall back on this year as the world continued to spiral around us. There remains no better place to escape than the golf course, in my mind at least.

If you should find yourself not on a golf course in the coming weeks, fear not, we’ve got plenty to keep you entertained. We’ve visited Burgham Park in our Course Profile, enjoyed a Round With NE/NW PGA order of merit winner Tim Dykes, and dedicated our Special Focus on the north’s best links courses.