United’s demise proving a boon on the fairways

Jul 30 2009 by Tim Taylor, The Journal

JOHN Glendinning, at one time the youngest golf manager in the country, does not know whether to laugh or cry over the predicament Newcastle United have got themselves into.

As a United fan who still treasures the match programme his all-time hero Paul Gascoigne autographed for him when he was seven years old, it hurts to tell the truth.

As the man who has been instrumental in spending much of the £10m Graham Wylie has already ploughed into the Close House golf course and hotel over the past four and a half years, United’s problems are an ill wind that has blown some good in his direction.

“I was a 27-year-old with four members’ names on a sheet of paper when Graham Wylie took over at Close House,” he said. “Now we have over 500 members and there is another course on the way for 2011 plus a lot more fresh investment, including more bedrooms for the hotel and leisure and spa facilities.

“In very many ways, it is a lot easier to work with one owner making the big decisions than with a golf club committee and Mr Wylie listens to us, backs us up when we have talked anything through – and lets us get on with it.”

Glendinning, born in Hexham, where he went to Queen Elizabeth High School, learned his golf at the Stocksfield club and furthered his education at St Andrews University. He has a Slaley Hall background – he was there during the European Tour days – as do two of his team. Jonathan Greenwood and Brian Clark are also Slaley old boys.

Like the Steve Gibson-owned Rockcliffe Hall in Durham County, Close House are the relatively new kids on the block in the quality street market of North East golf.

Rockliffe Hall also have a heavy ex-Slaley input into their staff, which suggests the venue for The Journal Champion of Champions is acquiring a reputation as the region’s finishing school for the golf business.