The North East's newest golf course has officially opened its fairways to players - and what a great new addition to the region's golfing resources it is. Ingleby Barwick Golf Club is run by stalwart North East professional Tim Jenkins, and features a lovely nine-hole lay-out on the banks of the River Tees near Stockton as well a two-floor golf superstore with a dazzling array of top quality equipment and cutting edge golf fashion, a two-tier state-of the-art driving range and a junior academy. It's an ambitious facility with a friendly, family atmosphere - situated right on the edge of the biggest private housing development in Europe. Ingleby Barwick, which was a hamlet and several farms just 20 years ago, is now a town in its own right with all the associated services like schools, pubs and shops. And now it has its own golf course too. Considering work on the lay out only began two years ago, what's been achieved so far is pretty remarkable. The golf club is the brainchild of Chris Morgan, who brought in Chris Stanton to design the course on land that sits snuggly in a large bend of the Tees, just opposite Preston Park. Morgan invited Jenkins to get involved as a consultant initially but the duo and their wives are now the four directors of the club. Darlington-born Jenkins is one of the most respected professionals in the North East, having started out as an assistant at Darlington GC before becoming head pro at Castle Eden. He has also managed Stressholme in Darlington as well as Seaton Carew driving rage while he's been head pro at borth Seaham Harbour GC and Romanby. Jenkins, who is part of a large buying group called Select Golf, also stocks the shops at Prudhoe and Saltburn golf clubs for respective pros John Crawford and Paul Bolton - one of Golf North East's resident experts. Jenkins has been able to call on all this experience to turn the complex into the golfing mecca it now is. The course used to be part of Quarry Farm, so named because of the small outcrop that has been mined since ancient times - a rock formation of some significant geological interest since it is 100 million years old and very rare (there's only one such similar outcrop in the country near Sheffield). The land really lends itself to a golf course with gentle undulations that have been used to great effect by Stanton. He's also added several small lakes and numerous water channels that flow into the Tees and give the whole project a real sense of individuality. In fact, the sweeping contours, sheer amount of water on hand and mixed vegetation, including areas of natural rough, that Stanton has managed to keep the number of bunkers to just a handful. It all adds up to a great setting that head greenkeeper Paul Upton is further developing. Though there are only nine holes, as four of them also boast a second tee box often at some distance away, it's quite possible to play a full 18 already and Upton has big plans to further define the second nine to give the impression you're tackling a totally different hole from first time round. Much of the course is flat and down at river level but there are one or two steep rises that afford great views. The front nine features four par 3s, the same number of par 4s and one par 5. The total yardage is just 2555 off white (2442 of yellow and 2263 off red) and has a par of 33. Things get underway with a 375-yard par 4 that slopes down to a wonderfully rolling and very scenic green. The second is a 143-yard par three over water to another large green that sits in a natural hollow. The third is a 373-yard par 4, which features an invitingly wide fairway and a pitch over water to another rolling green. Four and five feature the same combination of smallish but tricky par 3 and flat par 4, though the dogleg alongside the river, with views up to Preston Hall, gives a great sense of character. The sixth is a 483-yard par 5 that has water and a couple of rare bunkers while another 163-yard par 3 takes you back up to the course's higher level. The 323-yard par 4 eighth presents a blind tee shot but truly stunning views of the whole lower part of the course, the river and the opposite steeply-rising bank. A 166-yard par 3 concludes things up alongside the first. It really is a very imaginative lay out and considering the course is in its infancy, some of the holes really look like they've been there for years. The venture is so successful that the course already has 300 members - with space for just 50 more. It also offers pay and play. A committee has just been formed and plans are afoot for a full programme of competitions together with an open tournament. | 
Golfing Destinations
