Northern course star set to shine again

An ambitious golf club in the north east is ready to secure a future as prestigious as its past through a massive £160,000 of improvements.

Now in its 89th year, Brancepeth Castle GC has fully re-opened – damage caused to parts of the course during storms last year, and which led to just 15 holes being playable, has been repaired through a skilful and sympathetic upgrading programme.

It has ensured its challenging layout, created by renowned course designer Harry Colt across historic Brancepeth Castle Deer Park, has been faithfully restored.

Investment over the next 5 years will see further upgrades to fairways and greens, as well as new equipment, including cutters, a tractor and utility vehicles, and money spent on a greens iron and spraying equipment.

A new chairman of greens, Paul Swainston, has also been appointed to ensure the course is maintained and developed to suit the finest traditions of the club.

Delighted officials expect the club, situated just five miles south of Durham, to thrive throughout the planned investment programme – and beyond.

Jim Murray, Chair of the club said: “Brancepeth has always been a well-respected golf club and course and it is a tremendous boost to us that these upgrades have been carried out quickly and to a superb standard.

“We are incredibly excited at the major investment we have planned and believe it will increase our already incredibly high standing within the world of golf.

“Everyone at Brancepeth is looking forward with great anticipation to what the future holds and seeing just how far this club can go.”

As well as essential course maintenance, repairs have also been carried out to bridges, pathways and walls around the course.

Dutch golf architect Frank Pont, an expert on Henry Colt courses, has been working with the club for two years and said he was incredibly impressed by the restoration of the course.

Mr Pont said the 8th hole, which featured in a book by Colt about definitive holes, was a particular delight and remained highly sympathetic to its designer’s original.

He added: “Brancepeth Castle Golf Club is a great example of Colt’s genius in creating superb routings. On a site with some extreme topography he was able to build a course with infinite variety, in terms of the type of holes and the shots required to play them.

“The course has some great views of the castle and some of the most memorable par 3 holes Colt ever built. The investments the club is making in maintenance machines will have a tremendous effect on the quality of the course.

”Further opening of viewing lines and playing corridors through the selective thinning of trees, plus a careful restoration process of the grand style bunkers on the property, will ensure the club will further rise in the English rankings.

“Overall, a great Colt course, one that is a must-play for any serious scholar of classic golf courses.”

Brancepeth, whose many well-known features include a deep ravine that cuts through the 6,400-yard course, offers great variety of play and remains one of the most challenging in the country, especially for tee shots on a number of holes.

For further information visit www.brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk