Close House

Of course, you’ll be in good company, Lee Westwood became the official ‘Attached Tour Professional’ at Close House in 2011, Newcastle.  The ‘Lee Westwood Colt Course’ was officially opened by Westwood in May 2011.  As Attached Tour Professional, Lee Westwood wears the Close House logo his cap at every event, combined with an announcement on every tee of his relationship with the venue. He will also attends several events at Close House throughout the year.

The Golf Facilities at Close House are open to golfers of all ages and abilities, from grass roots beginners to seasoned professionals.

The Lee Westwood Colt Course

"Few perhaps realise how difficult it is to arrange for the natural features to provide to the fullest possible extent the necessary excitement for the course, and to supplement these features without destroying the natural beauty of the site."

H. S. Colt, 1920

The design of The Lee Westwood Colt tips its hat to the great English golf architect Harry Colt (who designed Wentworth, St Georges Hill, Sunningdale and Swinley Forest among others) While nothing is copied directly, the rectangular tees, the bunker forms, and the variety in Par threes are all features conceived from the distilled themes of this most brilliant architect. Within the first year of the new Lee Westwood Colt course opening it was voted one of the top 100 courses in England. Scott Macpherson (Lee Westwood Colt Course Architect) ‘The land on which you play is unique in many ways. Close to Newcastle, this Northumberland valley on the banks of the River Tyne is a property blessed with thousands of years of history. While Close House itself may date back only 250 years, prior to this the Roman Army roamed this land. In fact, the world famous ‘Hadrians Wall’ almost abuts the course itself. Don’t let that put you off, though. This golf course aims to produce the most exciting range of thrills for every level of golfer, and it requires your utmost attention.’ ‘Design work on the course began in late 2004. From that moment the team quickly went to work finalising the theme of the design. It was agreed that the best style for this course would be ‘Old English’. We wanted your experience of the golf course to be in tune with the history of the property. To this end, much attention was given to the routing of the course. Apart from finding a way to give you the most pleasurable journey around the property, each hole has been constructed with the a gentle footprint and aims to engage the natural features of the property.’ ‘You will find numerous little wonders as you move around the course. The highlights may be the Ancient Forest to the left of the first hole, the Old Roman Fort to the left of the 11th hole, the lake by the 15th tees, or the Ha-Ha wall and Ice-Lake on the 18th Hole. Each has a story, and each is for you to enjoy.’ ‘There are three other layers to The Lee Westwood Colt routing also. Firstly you may notice that as you move through the course, every subsequent hole plays in a different direction of the previous hole. You are constantly moving around the compass. Therefore on every shot, each golfer must recalculate the wind direction and strength. Secondly, the holes constantly change in trajectory. There are holes that play uphill, downhill and some that are reasonably level here, but almost without exception, the trajectory of one hole is different to the next. Thirdly, there is also a changing rhythm to the width of the holes. For example, the opening tee shot on the first hole between the Ancient Forest and the Ha-ha may seem confined, but the tee shot on the second hole is to a fairway of twice the width. Variety is the very foundation of golf architecture, so having achieved such a high level of diversity, it is with a degree of satisfaction that we present this routing to you.’ It would be fair to say that this course has been deliberately designed so that it will not give up its secrets easily. Indeed, the first time player will be at a disadvantage to the most seasoned practitioner by perhaps several shots. So The Lee Westwood Colt shall reward you for your powers of observation and willingness to return.

The Lee Westwood Filly course

The Lee Westwood Filly course at Close House was originally built as a nine hole course in 1964 by Newcastle University for the use of staff and students and was extended to 18 holes in the early eighties. The mansions house and golf course were bought from the university in 2004 by Graham Wylie, founder of Sage and TSG and Has since seen substantial investment, to make Close House the premier location in the North East not only for golf but also for conferences and fine dining. The 18 hole course is situated in the grounds of the Close House Estate, providing stunning views of the River Tyne Valley. The Parkland Layout was re-designed and re-opened in 2007. It now has 18 USGA specification greens, is 6000yds in length and a par 70 from the medal tees. The undulating greens provide a real test for your putting skills, but accuracy off the tee is paramount for good scoring. Having already held PGA professional events the course has proved challenging to golfers of all abilities.