The Hunting Course at Slaley Hall is often described as the ‘Augusta of the North’ Although we would likely compare it to the likes of Woburn. It is a tremendous Dave Thomas-designed golf course. Thomas has plenty of great golf courses in his portfolio, like Abama and the Brabazon course at The Belfry.
The Hunting course is a regular tournament golf course for several flagship events and has held the PGA Seniors tour and many European Tour events over the years.
The Hunting Course is very American in its feel and design, which is very common with Dave Thomas designs and is a good mix of golfing abilities can enjoy a course which is very challenging from the back tees measuring well over 7,000 yards, however with a multitude of tee positions to choose from this great championship course. The challenging par 4, 9th is an awesome hole. A good drive that requires a carry over the water is protected by the dense rhododendrons and a tight tree-lined fairway before setting up your approach to a well-guarded green beyond a burn.
The back 9 offers a lot of risks and reward holes and is perhaps the tougher of the two loops. Higher handicap golfers may struggle with the length of some holes on the back 9.
The 16th and 18th holes are played uphill, making them much longer than the yardage book, so club up.
The 18th requires a long drive through the tree-lined fairway, where the stream cuts across the fairway right within driving distance. The second shot is played to a raised green, with the Slaley Hall Hotel insight.
Slaley is a regular award winner, and it’s not hard to see why. With 36 holes of golf on offer and a fantastic hotel to boot, Slaley Hall is one of the most popular Golf Resorts in the North of England.
The second course is much shorter than the Hunting counterpart and is far better suited for higher handicaps. Designed by Neil Coles, who was quite prolific and known for his amazing consistency, had a successful career in European golf, winning 29 important tournaments between 1956 and 1982 and playing in no less than eight Ryder Cups.
The Priestman is set on higher grounds and includes amazing panoramic views of the Tyne Valley and beyond.
The course picks up pace after the first opening par-4s and has several excellent short holes. The 11th hole is a great golf hole with a short par 3 of just over 130 yards to a drop green over the burn. Our signature hole, however, would have to be the 4th hole with a stunning elevated tee on a mid-length par 5 with great views of Tyneside.
Make sure to include a round at the Priestman with your next trip to Slaley Hall, It is certainly a worthwhile warm-up round for the Hunting.
