pendodave
Tour Rookie
Just though I'd add a little to this thread, especially as we have just returned from parts unknown...
We had 4 days based in Hartlepool. We stayed in a lovely house right at the end of the Headland, which was nice for a couple of pubs and an evening stroll, but not so much for food. We variously got stuff from M&S or ubered around to the Marina area.
Played Hartlepool afternoon 1 and day 3. Really enjoyed the course. Didn't mind the flattish holes, as we don't get to play on links very much and it let us get our eyes in. Some great views/holes from near the sea. Very nice.
Played Saltburn day 2. A completely different vibe (kind of heathland on the hills overlooking the town). A few fiddly holes, but a nice change of pace from the links. It was a Sunday, but not over busy and incredibly cheap - we paid £25 each for some sort of April offer. Decent enough nick, though the dry weather has left some of the greens a little tired. Good fun though.
Played Seaton Carew day 4. Definite step up in class from Hartlepool - greens/fairways in better nick, the land had more of the rolling links shapes that the best courses do. Friendly pro and members. Good practice facilities. The afternoon/evening tee times are a real bargain (£60), sadly we had to play in the morning !
Some general thoughts :
The courses are all really dry because of the weather (which was also sunny when we were there). Good for the links experience, but some frighteningly tight lies!
The beer offerings in the clubhouse were universally terrible! Looked like they may all have has the same supplier - 4 taps of cold keg stuff of various types. No draught bitter and not much decent bottled stuff either.
Everyone we met was very welcoming and helpful, staff, members and the general public.
We've moved from Scotland to England for our tours because of the costs further North. The accomodation, food and green fees for equivalent golf would have been at least 30% higher. Having been to Northumberland and Durham/Cleveland in the last 2 years, we could be heading down the East Coast to Skeggy next
. We try to do East coast, because booking ahead as we have to, it offers much more predictable weather.
I'll pop a couple of pics on when I find them...
We had 4 days based in Hartlepool. We stayed in a lovely house right at the end of the Headland, which was nice for a couple of pubs and an evening stroll, but not so much for food. We variously got stuff from M&S or ubered around to the Marina area.
Played Hartlepool afternoon 1 and day 3. Really enjoyed the course. Didn't mind the flattish holes, as we don't get to play on links very much and it let us get our eyes in. Some great views/holes from near the sea. Very nice.
Played Saltburn day 2. A completely different vibe (kind of heathland on the hills overlooking the town). A few fiddly holes, but a nice change of pace from the links. It was a Sunday, but not over busy and incredibly cheap - we paid £25 each for some sort of April offer. Decent enough nick, though the dry weather has left some of the greens a little tired. Good fun though.
Played Seaton Carew day 4. Definite step up in class from Hartlepool - greens/fairways in better nick, the land had more of the rolling links shapes that the best courses do. Friendly pro and members. Good practice facilities. The afternoon/evening tee times are a real bargain (£60), sadly we had to play in the morning !
Some general thoughts :
The courses are all really dry because of the weather (which was also sunny when we were there). Good for the links experience, but some frighteningly tight lies!
The beer offerings in the clubhouse were universally terrible! Looked like they may all have has the same supplier - 4 taps of cold keg stuff of various types. No draught bitter and not much decent bottled stuff either.
Everyone we met was very welcoming and helpful, staff, members and the general public.
We've moved from Scotland to England for our tours because of the costs further North. The accomodation, food and green fees for equivalent golf would have been at least 30% higher. Having been to Northumberland and Durham/Cleveland in the last 2 years, we could be heading down the East Coast to Skeggy next
. We try to do East coast, because booking ahead as we have to, it offers much more predictable weather.I'll pop a couple of pics on when I find them...
