Editing North East England (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 Northeast England was [[Alnmouth]] founded in 1869 – the fourth oldest in the country and is now Alnmouth Village Club and an interesting 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}}</ref> There are three fine old [[links (golf)|links]] courses in this region at Seaton Carew, Goswick and Redcar.
 
[[File:"The Doctor" hole at Seaton Carew Colf Club.jpg|thumb|"The Doctor", a testing golf hole named after Dr McCuaig, founder of Seaton Carew Golf Club. (par 3 encircled by 8 bunkers)]]
 
The first golf course appeared in County Durham in 1874<ref name="Hornby 1974">{{cite book|first=Derek|last=Hornby|title=The History of Seaton Carew Golf Club|date=1974|publisher=Seaton Carew Golf Club}}</ref><ref name="Trotter 2001">{{cite book|first=Ron|last=Trotter|publisher=Seaton Carew Golf Club|title=125 Years of Golf at Seaton Carew 1874–1999|date =2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Hartlepool Mail| title= Recalling a Century of Golf at Seaton Carew|date=5 March 1974}}</ref> at [[Seaton Carew Golf Club]] near Hartlepool.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Seaton Carew Golf Club|title=Seaton Carew Golf Club|url=http://www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk/pages.php/index.html|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724085500/http://www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk/pages.php/index.html|archive-date=24 July 2013}}</ref> It was to become the only course in the whole of the counties of Durham and [[Yorkshire]] and was originally called the Durham and Yorkshire Golf Club and reference to this today remains in the Club's badge. Seaton Carew is the 10th oldest Golf Club in England.<ref>{{cite web|first=Rob|last=Smith|publisher=Golf Monthly|title=Top 100 Golf Courses|date=24 October 2008 |url=http://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/courses/tophundred/278744/no-91-seaton-carew.html|access-date=8 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117131929/http://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/courses/tophundred/278744/no-91-seaton-carew.html|archive-date=17 January 2010}}</ref> The Club was set up by a newly qualified surgeon from Edinburgh, who played at Musselburgh, when he realised there was nowhere for him to continue to practice his passion for the game. This was Dr. Duncan McCuaig, who had moved down to Teesside shortly after qualifying at [[University of Edinburgh]]. His memory can be recalled when one plays the third hole, a challenging par 3, named "The Doctor". Over the years some of the finest golfers in the country have played the links at Seaton Carew, including the legendary "[[Great Triumvirate (golf)|Great Triumvirate]]" of Golf [[Harry Vardon]], [[John Henry Taylor|John Henry "J H" Taylor]] and [[James Braid (golfer)|James Braid]] and several other Open Champions.<ref name="Hornby 1974"/><ref name="Trotter 2001"/>
 
[[Alister MacKenzie]], the designer of [[Augusta National Golf Club]] in [[Augusta, Georgia]], home of [[Masters Tournament|The Masters]], and the [[Cypress Point Club|Cypress Point]] golf course in [[California]], lengthened the Seaton Carew Course in 1925 to 6,500 yards and designed new holes eastwards including the planting of over 2,000 buckthorn bushes. In 1937, [[Walter Hagen]] played an exhibition match at Seaton Carew during a tour of Europe and commented "It is a splendid course, the links are well groomed. It is not an easy course and provides a good test of golf. It is one I would like to play quite often".<ref>{{cite book|first=Ron|last=Trotter|publisher=Seaton Carew Golf Club|title=125 Years of Golf at Seaton Carew 1847 -1999|year=2001}}</ref> This club by varying the playing sequence of the 22 holes can create 5 different course layouts. In 2014, "flyovers" of all 5 Seaton Carew Golf Course layouts were created with commentaries by TV commentator [[Peter Alliss]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Seaton Carew Golf Club|title=Course Flyover|url=http://www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk/pages.php/page/51febeef-c137-11e3-9d88-002590a5fe03/view_section.html|access-date=18 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716213035/http://www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk/pages.php/page/51febeef-c137-11e3-9d88-002590a5fe03/view_section.html|archive-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> Alliss comments: "The tenth oldest in England and a true championship links to challenge all levels of players."<ref>{{cite news| publisher=Offstone|first=Paul|last=Robinson|title=Northern Golfer – Seaton Carew|page=14|date=July 2014}}</ref>
 
Seaton Carew Golf Club is regular host to top amateur golf competitions. Golf England's [[Brabazon Trophy]] was held at this Club in 1985 and the winner, [[Peter Baker (golfer)|Peter Baker]], went on to Ryder Cup and European Tour success after sharing this amateur title with the North East's Roger Roper (Roper turned professional at the age of 50 in 2007 to compete on the Seniors Professional Tour<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Sports Network|title=PGA Tour Roger Roper|url=http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=latimes&page=golf-m/stat/GL_playerBio.aspx?PlayerID=10781,|access-date=11 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503015214/http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=latimes&page=golf-m%2Fstat%2FGL_playerBio.aspx%3FPlayerID%3D10781%2C|archive-date=3 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=Northern Golfer|title=Roger enjoys a senior moment|url=http://www.northerngolfer.co.uk/roger-enjoys-a-senior-moment/|date=July 2011|access-date=11 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203301/http://www.northerngolfer.co.uk/roger-enjoys-a-senior-moment/|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>). In June 2014, the Brabazon Trophy tournament returned to Seaton Carew and in line with the illustrious outcomes for past winners on this course a bright future was predicted for the winner Ben Stow from Wiltshire. Stow equalled the course record on the final day with a "birdie" on the final hole to win the Barabzon Trophy by one shot.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Northern Echo|title=Brabazon Trophy: Big Ben creates a little bit of history for Seaton Carew|date=29 June 2014|url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/11308286.Brabazon_Trophy__Big_Ben_creates_a_little_bit_of_history_for_Seaton_Carew/|access-date=10 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714134742/http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/11308286.Brabazon_Trophy__Big_Ben_creates_a_little_bit_of_history_for_Seaton_Carew/|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> He subsequently competed internationally, winning the 2018 Prague Golf Challenge.<ref name="European Tour 2021">{{cite web |title=Player profile Ben Stow |url=https://www.europeantour.com/players/ben-stow-38254/?tour=european-tour |website=European Tour |access-date=14 August 2021}}</ref>
 
[[Goswick]] near Berwick on Tweed is a James Braid design masterpiece 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}}</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. At [[Redcar]] on Teesside, the [http://www.clevelandgolfclub.co.uk/ Cleveland Golf Course] of 1887 is the oldest in Yorkshire. The Tyneside Golf Club at [[Ryton, Tyne and Wear|Ryton]] dates from 1880 but there may have been earlier courses in the region. During the [[English Civil War]] of 1642–1651, [[King Charles I of England|King Charles]] played 'Goff' in the Shield Fields of the suburb of Pandon near Newcastle 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 northeast of England,<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}}</ref> [http://www.middlesbroughgolfclub.co.uk/ Middlesbrough's Brass Castle Golf Club] and [[Brancepeth, County Durham|Brancepeth]] Golf Club being two excellent examples from many but those new courses created in the late 20th and early 21st centuries at [[Wynyard Golf Club|Wynyard]], Rockciffe Hall, Slalely Hall  and Close House, have rapidly gained an international reputation and regularly hold professional events such as the Seve Trophy<ref>{{cite news|publisher=GazetteLive|title=Legend Seve comes to Wynyard to unveil new golf trophy|url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/legend-seve-comes-wynyard-unveil-3820033|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208150414/http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/legend-seve-comes-wynyard-unveil-3820033|archive-date=8 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Seniors Tour.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BDaily|title=Rockliffe Hall clinches major European golf tournament bringing thousands to the region|url=https://bdaily.co.uk/hospitality/21-08-2013/rockliffe-hall-clinches-major-european-golf-tournament-bringing-thousands-to-the-region/|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085228/https://bdaily.co.uk/hospitality/21-08-2013/rockliffe-hall-clinches-major-european-golf-tournament-bringing-thousands-to-the-region/|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
 
The region has two professional golfers who are currently prominent in many professional golf tour events: [[Kenneth Ferrie|Kenny Ferrie]] from [[Ashington]] and [[Graeme Storm]] from Hartlepool have both won events on the prestigious [[European Tour]].
 
The largest corporate golf day in the United Kingdom is held annually each September by the members of the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) when 180 golfers play both the Slaley Hunting and Priestman courses simultaneously, after a shot gun start.<ref>{{cite news|first=Louise|last=Gwynne-Jones|publisher=NEPIC|title=The UK's biggest Golf Day goes off with a bang again!|url=http://www.nepic.co.uk/media_centre/news/details.asp?ntag=1523|access-date=21 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714222250/http://www.nepic.co.uk/media_centre/news/details.asp?ntag=1523|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref>