Head to the seaside and sample the best coastal courses the north has to offer
Seaton Carew Golf Club
A GB&I Top 100 course and host venue for the 2024 English Amateur Championship, Seaton Carew Golf Club’s iconic links continue to evolve and earn widespread acclaim. Re-imagined in 1926 by the legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie, the course has undergone substantial enhancements in recent years, with meticulous focus on restoring and celebrating the good doctor’s historic design elements. Seaton Carew has firmly re-established itself as one of the region’s most significant golfing destinations. Having marked its 150th anniversary in 2024, this venerable links refuses to rest on its laurels. Recent investments in extensive bunker renovations, modernising its irrigation system, and strategic construction projects have propelled it into the national spotlight, solidifying its place in modern golfing conversations. Central to these efforts is a blend of historical integrity and contemporary refinement. The restoration of MacKenzie’s bold vision – most notably the expansion of run-offs and refinement of its celebrated green sites – has accentuated Seaton Carew’s unmistakable links character. Among these triumphs is the remarkable transformation of the signature par three, Doctor. Its dramatic redesign not only pays homage to MacKenzie’s genius but also underscores why this course is an unmissable experience for any golfer.
Seaton Carew Golf Club, Tees Road, Seaton Carew, TS25 1DE, tel 01429 266 249, www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk
Alnmouth Village Golf Club
A single step from the beach of Alnmouth Bay in places, the links of Alnmouth Village Golf Club are not to be missed. Set on the rugged coastline, this is England’s oldest nine-hole links course and remains one of its best. Opened in 1869 with its designer, 1874 Open champion Mungo Park, as greenkeeper and professional, the opening holes are played within yards of the North Sea. Having climbed Bracken Hill while playing the par four sixth hole, players are rewarded with one of the best views on any golf course in the UK from the seventh tee. The course retains much of its original layout – and its 19th Century clubhouse – and while it is short, it calls for imagination and accuracy to score well on the small, fast greens with their many swales and steep drop-offs.
Alnmouth Village Golf Club, Marine Road, Alnmouth, NE66 2RZ, tel 01665 830 370, www.alnmouthvillagegolfclub.co.uk
Cleveland Golf Club
The links of Cleveland have a special place in the region’s golfing history. The oldest club in Yorkshire, and the county’s only links course, the club was established in 1887 and the course has been moulded by three of golf’s greatest designers – Old Tom Morris, Harry Colt and Donald Steel. The layout remains a stern test, measuring 6,921 yards from the back tees with a par of 72. While the course maintains its links challenge with stiff North Sea winds, penal pot bunkers and thick rough, the landscape around the course continues to evolve as the industrial skyline of Redcar changes and the view returns to one closer to what Morris and Colt would have enjoyed many years ago.
Cleveland Golf Club, Majuba Road, Redcar, Cleveland, TS10 5BJ, tel 01642 471 798, www.clevelandgolfclub.co.uk
Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Course
Increasingly popular and improving year on year, the linksland layout of Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Course overlooking the North Sea is a delight to play. A popular tournament venue, the course features many fascinating elements designed by five-time Open champion James Braid as well as more recent enhancements which increase its challenge for modern players. The combination of vast green complexes with revetted bunkers, tricky approach shots and par threes, and its spectacular short hole set in the shadow of Dunstanburgh Castle make this one of the most special places to tee it up in our region.
Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Course, Embleton, NE66 3XQ, tel 01665 576 562, www.dunstanburgh.com
Seahouses Golf Club
Set on clifftops above the North Sea in Northumberland overlooking Seahouses and Beadnell – and with views of the Farne Islands – this predominantly links course is playable all year round and presents a tricky test with a number of demanding tee shots and birdie opportunities on both nines. It has some wonderful par threes – particularly the 10th, played from tee to green over water, and the 15th, played over an inlet with the North Sea crashing below. The clubhouse and veranda are just 100 metres from the beach, have wonderful views, and are a relaxing environment to enjoy refreshments following your round with all welcome throughout the day.
Seahouses Golf Club, Beadnell Road, Seahouses, NE68 7XT, tel 01665 720 794, www.seahousesgolf.co.uk
Seascale Golf Club & Calder House Hotel
Designed by Willie Campbell and George Lowe more than 100 years ago, the links of Seascale Golf Club remain a traditional English test with spectacular views of the Isle of Man and Scotland to the west, and the mountains of the Lake District to the east. Five miles south of Whitehaven on the west coast of Cumbria, this is a delightful place to play in calm conditions and an exacting test when the wind blows in from the Irish Sea. A regular in top-100 lists and ranked among the world’s best links courses, those who haven’t visited Seascale before should add this to their list of courses to play as soon as possible.
Just metres from the links of Seascale, the Calder House Hotel offers a warm Cumbrian welcome, an excellent breakfast, and stunning views from a number of bedrooms as well as the bar and restaurant. The beer garden is a great spot to share stories from your rounds in the summertime, plus there’s free parking and wi-fi. A range of en-suite rooms are available, and golfers are made incredibly welcome here.
Seascale Golf Club, The Banks, Seascale, CA20 1QL, tel 01946 728 202, www.seascalegolfclub.co.uk
Calder House Hotel, The Banks, Seascale, CA20 1QP, tel 01946 728 538, www.calderhouse.co.uk
