Seaside links course designed by ‘Old Town Morris’ in 1891. Without doubt one of Northumberland’s true hidden gems. A very interesting and testing course in idyllic surroundings offering such stunning beauty with outstanding views of the Northumberland coastline. The course has 9 greens, but the construction of 18 tees means variety and a very different challenge of each hole that asks questions of all levels of golfer. Practice area and eating facilities during the season. Visitors welcome except Tuesdays and Saturdays. Society meetings are welcome by arrangement.

Warkworth Golf Club
1. Location
Warkworth Golf Club lies on the coast of Northumberland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Northumberland Coast Path (http://www.northumberlandcoastaonb.org) passes through the golf course, and members and visitors are requested to take care when playing.
The entire course can be viewed on Google Earth, more pictures also on http://www.englishgolfunion.org/golfcentral
Warkworth Castle can be seen from the course and formed the backdrop for several scenes in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1.
this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone,
Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-sick.

Warkworth Golf Club has leased the land from the Duke of Northumberland since its formation in 1891.

“ Warkworth must be approached from the N(orth). With its bridge, its bridge-tower, then a short street at an angle and then the main street up a hill to the towering, sharply cut block of the keep is one of the most exciting sequences of views one can have in England “

The above quote is from “Northumberland”, Penguin Books series,” The Buildings of England “, first published 1957, written by Nikolaus Pevsner and Ian Richmond, page 311. This renowned series of volumes is still in print, the latest version is available on Amazon at a price of £29.95. Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, (January 30, 1902 – August 18, 1983) was a German-born British historian of art and, especially, architecture. He is best known for his 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, The Buildings of England (1951-74), one of the great achievements of 20th-century art scholarship. ( the last two sentences copied from Wikipedia, August 2007)

Warkworth Castle was also painted by JMW Turner, a 1799 watercolour on paper now in the V&A Museum in London, entitled Warkworth Castle, Thunderstorm approaching at Sunset. Time to sound the hooter. This view is taken looking east, a better view of the Castle is looking west, as from the golf course.

2. Course Details

The course was originally laid out as a twelve-hole course by the renowned multi-Open winner and prolific course designer Old Tom Morris in 1891, the same year as he also laid out Muirfield in East Lothian.

It is now a nine-hole classic links course, with 18 tees to make the second time around quite different from the first nine, as can be seen from the card of the course:

Men’s Tees, in yards:

Hole White Tee Yellow Tee Par Stroke Index
1 217 211 3 2
2 400 375 4 4
3 325 320 4 12
4 353 294 4 10
5 476 441 5 16
6 177 173 3 6
7 324 278 4 14
8 309 288 4 18
9 350 344 4 8
Out 2931 2724 35
10 217 212 3 3
11 400 393 4 5
12 361 355 4 9
13 385 379 4 7
14 476 435 5 17
15 246 246 3 1
16 330 293 4 11
17 329 324 4 13
18 311 304 4 15
In 3055 2941 35
Out 2931 2724 35
Total 5986 5665 70
SSS 69 67

Ladies’ Tees, in yards

Hole Yards Par Stroke Index
1 190 3 15
2 335 4 3
3 316 4 2
4 300 4 7
5 432 5 5
6 177 3 17
7 262 4 12
8 287 4 13
9 306 4 9
Out 2605 35
10 190 3 16
11 375 5 11
12 282 4 8
13 379 4 1
14 432 5 4
15 110 3 18
16 262 4 14
17 329 4 6
18 311 4 10
In 2670 36
Out 2605 35
Total 5275 71
Sss 71

Given its proximity to the sea, it is no surprise that the course is very rarely closed and is usually playable all year round, with the regular greens in play during the winter season. The winterised course (in play from early October to late March) uses only 9 tees, often in quite different locations from the summer tees.

The 15th hole on the Men’s Course can be seen as a bit of a challenge at 247 yards, par 3, and is played from north to south. The prevailing wind at Warkworth is a westerly. There is zero protection from trees on the course. It can be noted that visitors playing from the yellow tee enjoy the same experience as those playing from the medal tee.

The course record stands at 67.