Goswick Get Together - 21st January?

[Tony_Muldoon]

For clarity’s sake I wanted to put up the following list of who’s heading North. (Please let me know if I've missed you off.)
 
 
Staying North Berwick
 
Sean
Plus 1, aka The Real Tin Man, aka The Imposter Tony M
Jon Wiggett
Niall
Tony Muldoon
 
Joining us for Dinner 8pm
Jon Byron
David McIntosh
Michael Graham
 
 
Golf Sunday AM.
 
Sean
Plus 1, aka The Real Tin Man, aka the Imposter Tony M
Jon Wiggett
Niall
Tony Muldoon
Jon Byron
David McIntosh
Michael Graham



Others can still join if we know by the 12th.

[Niall C]

Tony


Have I been jettisoned for Sunday 


Niall

[Marty Bonnar]

Tony


Have I been jettisoned for Sunday 


Niall

You should all be at the Kirk anyway. Heathens!
😇


F.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Tony


Have I been jettisoned for Sunday 


Niall

Two extraordinary Nations divided by a rather common language? You're back in.

[Niall C]

English has always been my second language.


Niall

[Mark Pearce]

OK.  There are 12 of us on Saturday, teeing off at 10.00, 10.07 and 10.15.  I'll be aiming to be there for 9.00.  See you all on Saturday.

[Jon Wiggett]

An excellent get together was had on Saturday. Goswick was a wonderful course in great nick and even the weather was perfect. Full greens and tees despite the frost which was nice to see.


Big thanks to Mark for organising the day.


Jon

[Mark Pearce]

Thanks, Jon.  I was delighted that so many made the effort to come down (or up) for the round, in some cases (you and Giles) from a long way away.  After Gullane last year and Goswick this, I think the January Northern British day should become a fixture.


Obviously the weather is always like that in Northumberland.

[Tim Gallant]

Echoing Jon's note, thank you to Mark for organising and it was great to meet a few of you for the first time. I really enjoyed the course, and thought, as usual, Ran's profile was spot-on. My favourite holes were the 12th and the 14th (mainly for the approach). The road coming across the 17th green is simply sublime!


I will make it there for sure in the summer.

[Marty Bonnar]

Asspics!

[David McIntosh]

In line with Jon and Tim, I'd also like to thank Mark for arranging our day out at Goswick. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and, as well as the holes Tim mentioned, thought the stretch from the 5th to 8th on the front side was also excellent.

I noted that we were playing what was badged as the 'Winter course' on the scorecard, which offered different (and interesting) angles for many of the tee shots. Despite its 'Winter' status, the course played very well and was exceptional value to boot. This was my first time visiting Goswick so it'll be good to return to play from the regular tees at some point.

It was great to meet several fellow GCAers and to catch up with a number of familiar faces too. To witness the joy on Sean's face when he discovered that road cutting in front of the 17th green was priceless!

[Mark Pearce]

If anyone is planning a visit to Goswick in the summer let me know.  It's only an hour up the road and it's one of those courses that seems to get better every time I play it.

[Michael Graham]

Thanks again Mark for organising Saturday. Hopefully the January get-togethers become an annual date for the calendar. It's definitely something to look forward to in what is an otherwise pretty grim month.

I'd heard good things about Goswick but even in winter it exceeded my expectations. I thought the course was superb. Playing the winter course meant the par 3 13th wasn't quite the proposition I imagine it would be from the full tees. Playing the course again I would definitely not take driver on the 12th but follow Niall and Tim's lead (if not line  ) and go with a hybrid.

Definitely a course to get back to for a 36 hole day.

[Mark Pearce]

Actually, off the summer tees I think driver is the club on 12.  The best par 3 is 15.  It's only 120 yards in summer but it is devilishly hard.  I'd be really interested in a 36 hole day this summer if you and others were up for it.

[Jon Byron]

Thanks again Mark. Wonderful day, wonderful place, and wonderful group. 36 holes will be fun as well>

[Ian Galbraith]

Actually, off the summer tees I think driver is the club on 12.  The best par 3 is 15.  It's only 120 yards in summer but it is devilishly hard.  I'd be really interested in a 36 hole day this summer if you and others were up for it.

Aim for the bank, back left on 15 and the ball will inevitably trickle back down to the middle of the green - great hole, especially devilish when the wind is up.  Driver is sometimes the right club on 12 in the summer but as always on a links course it depends on the wind, the firmness of the ground etc.


I work at Heriot-Watt Uni on Edinburgh and we have an annual match there against Newcastle Uni golf club, 36 holes on the third Tuesday in August. Next summer will be the 47th consecutive year it has been played  - a fantastic day out, great value and great friendships built over all these years.

[Michael Graham]

The yardage given on the club website for the 12th is 367 yards. I presume that's the regular tee visitors would play from. Depending on what the wind is doing I still think at most I'm taking three wood. Anything to take the the drainage ditch on the right out of play.


I thought all the one shotters were strong with my pick being the 2nd. Talk about a hole not to be short on.

[Jon Wiggett]

Asspics!

Sorry to disappoint Mr. Bonnar but the only pics are of a dozen well honed athletes


Ian,


I am sure you are correct though if you are lucky Mark might explain his strategy for the hole which was certainly most entertaining.


Jon

[Sean_A]

Mark

Thanks for organizing the Goswick game....very fine indeed. 

I enjoyed meeting all the folks, putting faces to names and all that...hope to see more of the Scottish GCA contingent in the future.

Question for Mark and all...one game only

Dunstanburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle
Alnmouth
Warkworth
Brancepeth Castle
Seahouses

I am leaning toward Warkworth because folks say it links...I need dry in March.

Ciao

[Adam Lawrence]

Mark

Thanks for organizing the Goswick game....very fine indeed. 

I enjoyed meeting all the folks, putting faces to names and all that...hope to see more of the Scottish GCA contingent in the future.

Question for Mark and all...one game only

Dunstanburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle
Alnmouth
Warkworth
Brancepeth Castle
Seahouses

I am leaning toward Warkworth because folks say it links...I need dry in March.

Ciao

I haven't played them all, but I do love Dunstanburgh. A nice, straightforward old Braid links, a beautiful spot, a warm welcome and cheap as chips. What's not to like?

[Thomas Dai]

For what it's worth my usual golf travelling chum was in Northumberland on a family holiday at the end of last year and liked the links at Warkworth so much he went back a couple of times. He was also taken by Dunstanburgh, less so by Seahouses. From his comments I reckon both Warkworth and Dunstanburgh would be up your golfing street.


Alnwick has two courses. Foxton, which was phototoured herein by Malcolm a few months ago, and the yee olde rustic Alnmouth Village 9-holer in the town.



Lovely part of the world. Would make a good area for a golf tour.


Atb

[Richard Fisher]

Agree. In fact agree so much that we are having a Gog Magog-based Northumberland tour this coming May, playing at Seahouses as a warm-up, Goswick, Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh.

To answer Sean's specific question, for one game only in the area not at Goswick, I agree with Adam and Dunstanburgh would be my initial recommendation, followed very closely by Bamburgh (short, charming, with gorgeous views - sometimes a bit reminiscent of a mini-Porthcawl), with the proper links 9-holes at Warkworth as a strong after-tea alternative.

Whatever happens, the Northumberland coast is one of the finest in Britain, and the green fees remain extremely good value (as on the other side of the country in what used to be called Cumberland).

[Thomas Dai]

Thought I'd seen a thread herein about Warkworth - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,44336.0.html
Hadn't realised it was an OTM layout.

Atb

[Jonathan Davison]

I agree with the others, Dunstanburgh is fun to play and cheap.
Last year I had a links tour and played Alnmouth (Foxton Hall), Alnmouth Village and Warkworth, all three are worth a game if you are in the area.
Here are a few shots from Warkworth GC.
Looking down the first hole with out of bounds hugging the right side. The club had an option to buy the dune land in the background and extend the course to 18 holes but the cost was too much for the club.

The second green complex situated in the lower part of the course.

Tee shot on 3, a blind tee shot then a blind second to the green. I loved it.



After the 3rd hole you move on higher ground away from the dunes.

[Jonathan Davison]

A few images from Alnmouth Village golf links, the oldest 9 hole course in England.
It's short, fun with some cool ground contours and great views.