Hartlepool

There are some cracking golf courses in the northeast of England, and Hartlepool is right up there with them.

Located on the coastline, with Crimdon Dene Beach on one side, and a railway line on the other, the course shows off its links characteristics from the start.

With dunes in play throughout the seaside holes, and with plenty of pot bunkers and small ditches to avoid, it is more of a challenge than its 6,200 yards suggests.

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The history of Hartlepool dates back to 1906, with the club first being situated at Hart Old Village as a small 9-hole layout.

A year later, the club moved to its current location at Hart Old Warren, and has been rejuvenated and revamped in recent years.

Graeme Storm, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, grew up in the area, and learnt his trade at Hartlepool Golf Club.

Hartlepool Golf Club is sat between a railway line and a beach, making it a true links course. The seaward side of the course is protected by hillocks and high ridges of blown sand covered with marram grass. The sandy nature of the soil assists in rapid drainage and from spring to autumn, the course is ablaze with wildflowers. This area, well known to botanists, has now been declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The course itself is not long, at just 6,230 yards, but depending on the wind direction, it will feel much longer.

It begins with a gentle par 4, and one where some might be tempted to take the green on with driver. However, despite only being 267 yards, with OOB down its left side, the safe play is to take a long iron or fairway wood to stay short of the bunkers that sit in front of the green. The two par 5s at Hartlepool come at opposite ends of the course. The first of those is the 2nd hole, measuring in at 546 yards from the tips. Played as a dog-leg left, avoid the two fairway bunkers sitting on the right side of the short stuff with your drive. Longer hitters might take it on in two, but for most, the ideal lay up is short of the fourth fairway bunker on the right side.

3 and 4 are both par 4s of more than 400 yards. The former is a dog-leg right, bending around the corner of the 2nd. The drive is relatively easy, with plenty of space on either side. A ditch runs across the hole some 60 yards in front of the green, one guarded by two bunkers. That same ditch also makes its way across the 4th hole, and at almost a similar yardage from the putting surface. There are five bunkers to avoid with the tee shot, while anything pulled too far left might find the corner of the ditch as well. Don’t go long of this green, as you might find yourself OOB and reaching for another ball.

The 5th is the opening par 3, with all four coming in the space of eight holes. At 155 yards, it is not too long, but it plays over gorse and roughage, to a green guarded by three traps. The 7th is the shortest hole on the course at just 110 yards. It isn’t easy though, as the green is shallow and angled diagonally away from you. The other two par 3s come back-to-back at 11 and 12. The former is the longest of the quartet at 210 yards from the tips. The tee shot is hit from the dunes, with the beach at your back, and although there is only the one small bunker by the green, the difficulty comes from the distance. The 12th is easier, despite still being 180 yards in length. A peanut-shaped green is protected by a bunker on each side, while there is gorse to the back right of the surface.

In between those lies a series of strong par 4s. The 6th takes you towards the coast, and among the dunes for the first time. Although only 321 yards, this is not a hole to take driver on as the fairway is split in two. Find the first bit before taking a slightly longer club to the green. The 8th is the Stroke Index 1 at Hartlepool, and it is easy to see why. The tee shot requires a lengthy carry to a fairway that runs diagonally away to the right. The further right you hit your tee shot, the longer the carry to the fairway. At 447 yards, you want to get it as far down there as possible, especially considering the green is guarded by six bunkers. 9 features bunkers in pairs, with the first four in the landing zone off the tee. The green is narrower at the front than it is at the back, and features another pair of traps guarding it. 10 opens up the back nine with another medium length par 4. Make sure you find the fairway, as if you don’t, you might not have a view of the green, which sits back amongst the dunes.

A quartet of par 4s take you through the middle of the back nine, starting with the 13th. This is the easiest of the four, at just over 300 yards. Find the fairway and it should be just a flick of a wedge to the green. 14 is a dog-leg left of more than 415 yards, and although there are no bunkers, anything left off the tee may well find the dunes. The green is set back amongst them, so make sure you read the wind correctly before hitting your approach. 12 bunkers come into play on the 15th. Six of those – two right and four left – are in play off the tee, with a further six surrounding the green. Accuracy is the key down the 15th hole. 16 is another slight dog-leg left and the longest of the quartet at 420 yards from the tips. Four bunkers guard what is a generously large putting surface.

The other par 5 at Hartlepool comes at the 17th, and it is a narrow hole so going for it in two might not be the right thinking. It plays alongside the railway line to begin with, so anything too far left off the tee will see you playing three off the tee. Avoid the five fairway bunkers in the landing zone, and then you have a choice to make. Five more traps are in play at the green, so do you go for it or lay up short? The closing hole is an arrow-straight par 4 of 390 yards. The miss is right off the tee, as there is OOB down the left side. A solitary trap sits on the right side of the green, on what is a hole that has yielded many a birdie, but also many a double and triple...

Where is Hartlepool Golf Club located?

Hartlepool Golf Club sits on the northeast coastline of England, in between the cities of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sunderland and Middlesbrough. It is just a few miles north of the latter, with Crimdon Dene Beach running along its eastern boundary. The A179 runs from the A19 to Hartlepool, providing good road links for those driving to the venue.

The town of Hartlepool has its own train station, which is a couple of miles south of the golf club. Trains run north-south, with destinations including Newcastle, Middlesbrough and even London Kings Cross. Newcastle International Airport – the biggest airport in the northeast of England, sits less than an hour away to the north of Hartlepool. Leeds Bradford is 90 minutes to the south via the M1, with Manchester Airport a further hour away then across the M62 westbound. The latter is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom outside of London.

Are there any NCG Top 100s: England venues nearby?

The northeast of England is blessed with quality golf courses, and Seaton Carew is less than ten miles away from Hartlepool. Dunstanburgh Castle and Goswick are north of Hartlepool, both within a two-hour drive. Ganton, one of Yorkshire’s finest, is a similar drive to the southeast.

What golf facilities does Hartlepool Golf Club offer?

Along with the glorious 18-hole course on the coast, Hartlepool Golf Club also has a covered driving range and a short game area for practice. The club boasts a five-hole Academy Course as well, and there is an Academy Membership available for those who are perhaps just starting out.

What are the green fees at Hartlepool Golf Club?

The price of a green fee at Hartlepool Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at Hartlepool, visit their website here.