Ramside Hall Golf Course, Durham

Ramside Hall Golf Course sits within the grounds of Ramside Hall Hotel, a 19th-century country house on the eastern edge of Durham. It is one of the largest golf complexes in the North East, offering 27 holes across three nine-hole loops: the Cathedral, the Prince Bishops and the Bishops.

The courses were redesigned by Jonathan Gaunt and opened in their current form in 2009, running across gently rolling parkland with mature woodland, lakes and streams in play on many holes. The Cathedral course lives up to its name with distant views of Durham Cathedral from several tees, while the Prince Bishops loop is generally considered the toughest of the three, and the Bishops offers a slightly gentler round.

Green fees, tuition, buggy hire and club rental are handled through the pro shop, and the on-site spa and restaurants at Ramside Hall make it a popular day out. Even non-golfers can enjoy the walk around the estate. The hotel and course sit just off the A690 between Durham and Sunderland, close to Belmont.