Editing Northumberland (section)

===Golf===
Golf is a Scottish import to many countries, but it is said to have been played in this region by [[St Cuthbert]] on the dunes of the Northumberland coast. The oldest club in Northumberland was at [[Alnmouth]], founded in 1869, it is the fourth oldest in the country and is now Alnmouth Village Club; it is a 9 hole links course.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Alnmouth Golf Club|title=History of Alnmouth GC|url=http://www.alnmouthgolfclub.com/pages.php/page/83cdb148-a240-102c-9079-001ec9b331b2/view_section.html|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728145425/http://www.alnmouthgolfclub.com/pages.php/page/83cdb148-a240-102c-9079-001ec9b331b2/view_section.html|archive-date=28 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There is one old [[links (golf)|links]] course at [[Goswick]]. It is a James Braid design which is widely acknowledged as a classic Northumberland links course;<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Goswick Links Golf Club|title=Goswick Links Golf Club|url=http://www.goswicklinksgc.co.uk/|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828043737/http://www.goswicklinksgc.co.uk/|archive-date=28 August 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> so much so, that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) chose Goswick as a regional qualifier for the [[Open Championship]] for five years from 2008.

During the [[English Civil War]] of 1642–1651, [[King Charles I of England|King Charles]] played 'Goff' in the Shield Fields suburb of Pandon during his imprisonment in the town.<ref>{{cite web|first=Eneas|last=McKenzie|publisher=British History Online|title=The suburbs of Pandon|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43339|access-date=20 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907070154/http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43339|archive-date=7 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Today inland golf courses are abundant in the county,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Golf Today|title=Golf Courses in England|url=http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse/coursedir/england.html|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814061538/http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse/coursedir/england.html|archive-date=14 August 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The county has a professional golfer who has played in many professional golf tour events: [[Kenneth Ferrie|Kenny Ferrie]] from [[Ashington]], who has won events on the prestigious [[European Tour]].