Stunning location for one of 2010’s highlights

Jan 13 2010 by Tim Taylor, The Journal

THE Journal Champion of Champions will change venues next season, when it switches from Northumberland to Durham County.

The event will be hosted by Rockliffe Hall, the new £50m-plus golf resort in the village of Hurworth, 20 miles south of Durham City.

A stunning course and hotel crafted into 375 acres on the banks of the River Tees, Rockliffe is owned by Middlesbrough FC chairman Steve Gibson.

In 2011, the tournament will return to Northumberland where it will be staged at Close Hose, who are also hosting next year’s Grand Final of The Journal Ladies Trophy.

After a series of meetings, the Champions switch was finalised last week and the 2010 event goes ahead at Rockliffe on Sunday September 5.

In making the formal announcement yesterday, The Journal editor Brian Aitken said: “Thanks are due to De Vere Slaley Hall, who have put the tournament on for the last three years and have been helpful to The Journal in many respects.

“All concerned felt it was time for a change and Keith Pickard at Slaley was kind in offering any input needed and complimenting The Journal on the courses the event is moving to.”

The move was applauded by Mark Stancer, now the professional at N1Golf in Morpeth, who in 2007 was instrumental in helping Aitken restore a much-loved tournament to the fixture list after a gap of eight years.

Stancer, then Slaley’s golf operations manager, has played Rockliffe.

He said: “Like Slaley, it is the sort of course most golfers know their own clubs will be looking over their shoulders at and saying: ‘There are so many good ideas here, it sets a benchmark we should all aspire to.’

“I can see they also set their own benchmark for themselves.

“There is an extraordinarily high standard of service at Rockliffe – for instance they park your car for you and take away your clubs and clean them before you play golf.