Whitburn Golf Club plays host to a second successive major regional competition

Whitburn Golf Club played host to the final stages of the Northumberland and Durham Inter County Foursomes Championship on Saturday, April 26.

More than 80 clubs from both counties had fielded teams in the championship, which is the traditional opening event of the North East golf season.

It is the second successive major North East tournament held at the club, with Whitburn having played host of the Durham County Seniors Championship in 2024.

The hosting roles have followed a programme of major works at Whitburn Golf Club, which saw a comprehensive renovation of bunkers and the re-alignment of some fairways to return to the course to 6,000-plus yards.

More recently, Whitburn Golf Club has revamped its 12th hole thanks to work from head greenkeeper Eddie Cuthbert, along with Ken Stewart’s squad of club volunteers headed by Alan Lindsay, Michael Bowler, Shaun Urquhart and Gary Maughan.

Other improvements at the course have seen the planting of more than 1,110 gorse bushes following a £14,000 grant from the Fairways Foundation.

Read South Tyneside’s latest news and sport with the Gazette’s email newsletters - sign up online today

Bedlington had never been in the inter-county final before but Ben Brown and Jack Baird put that right with a seven and six win over Goswick’s Joe Atkinson and Alan Potts in the Northumberland final.

On the other side of the tournament in the Durham final, Consett’s John Kennedy and Mark Bonser had a much closer encounter with Boldon’s Gavin Nesbitt and Michael Calvert, which went to the 20th.

The exciting final between Consett and Bedlington eventually saw Consett emerge as winners by one hole.

Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/.

It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.