Goswick: Discover links golf as it was meant to be
Found on true linksland, amid a stunning Northumberland coastline, this James Braid classic course makes every one who plays it fall “deeply in love”
Goswick is a James Braid masterpiece, open to all who truly love the game. When the celebrated golf writer Bernard Darwin first saw it, he ‘fell deeply in love.’ UK Golf Guide rates it a ‘must play.’
Golf Empire raves that it’s ‘as good as many of the top links in East Lothian and knocks socks off many of its southern counterparts.’
And Golf Club Atlas states simply, ‘If this was your regular, you would think you had died and gone to heaven.’ Rave reviews indeed for this Northumberland links, nestled amid windswept dunes along a vast expanse of stunning coastline midway between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
All you need to know about Goswick Golf Club
History
On the evening of Friday 21st October 1889, several local enthusiasts of the suddenly booming game of golf met at the King’s Arms Hotel in Berwick-upon-Tweed, ‘to consider a scheme to organise a golf club and to hear a report as to a piece of ground’.
And so began the story of Goswick Golf Club.
The initial 9-hole layout, opened for play in April 1890, was extended to 18 holes in 1894.
The club struggled to survive during the Great War when over a third of its members were on active service.
But by 1930, it had recovered sufficiently to proceed with an ambitious plan to lengthen and strengthen the layout.
James Braid was engaged to guide the transformation and in exchange for his fee of £8.80 per day plus expenses, he produced a detailed plan with recommendations for improvements to each of the holes, including extensive revision of 13 of them.
Braid’s masterful imprint on Goswick Links remains largely intact to this day.
What makes Goswick Golf Club special
This treasure is a bit remote. But that’s one of the many attributes that makes it so special. Seek it out and you’ll be rewarded with an escape from reality to, as Darwin puts it, ‘one of the most naturally magnificent pieces of golfing ground that ever swam into the ken of the golfing explorer.’
You’ll also be challenged and inspired, no matter your skill level. The R&A has designated Goswick as Regional Qualifying venue for the Open Championship through 2024.
And it recently hosted the England Golf County Senior Finals. Yet choose the tee appropriate for your game and you’ll walk off the 18th green with a round to remember as you indulge in a pint in the lounge of the welcoming clubhouse.
Where is it?
Goswick Golf Club is on the Northumberland coast, midway between Edinburgh and Newcastle, just three miles off the A1.
Would you like to play courses like Goswick with the NCG Top 100s Tour?
Our NCG Top 100s Tour offers club golfers the chance to tick off their bucket list courses around the UK and Ireland while playing for fantastic prizes courtesy of TaylorMade.
The Tour prides itself on offering the best experience at the events while offering fantastic value.
Your entry fee includes:
- Your round of golf
- A meal before and after your round
- A welcome pack on arrival
- The chance to win amazing TaylorMade prizes
And, if that isn’t enough, you can get a 10% discount if you book four or more golfers.
Get in touch
For more information about the club and course, visit Goswick’s website or call them on 01289 387256.
Have you ever played at Goswick Golf Club? What did you think of the course? Let us know with a post on X/Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
