County Durham’s Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa continues to make a clear statement of intent as it works towards its vision of becoming the finest golf destination in the North East of England.
Following the recent opening of The PIN—a lively new leisure hub featuring bowling, big-screen sport and a 43-bay Toptracer driving range—attention has now shifted firmly back to the golf courses themselves. Significant investment is already being delivered across Ramside’s two championship layouts, alongside the creation of a new floodlit short-game area that will complete what is shaping up to be one of the region’s most comprehensive practice and coaching facilities.
Together, the enhanced range, academy, and short-game area underline Ramside’s commitment not just to resort golf, but to long-term player development and year-round usability—key considerations for both domestic and visiting golfers.
Cathedral Course transformation
The Cathedral Course, originally opened in 2014 and designed by Jonathan Gaunt, is undergoing the most striking changes. Under the direction of Course Manager Shaun Embleton and his team, a number of structural updates are reshaping both the look and the flow of the course.
Most notably, the former par-5 7th is being reimagined as two distinct holes: a short par-4 and a par-3, adding variety and sharpening decision-making. Meanwhile, the old 17th is being fully reworked to create a bold new finishing hole that plays directly below the clubhouse balcony—designed to deliver a dramatic and memorable close to the round.
Alongside these headline changes, the Cathedral Course is adopting new grass varieties and more naturalised roughs, creating a stronger inland-links aesthetic that better reflects the surrounding landscape while improving sustainability.
Designed to look better — and play better
The refinements go beyond routing alone. Bunkers have been softened and reshaped, with lighter, more natural edges replacing the previously large and maintenance-heavy forms. Areas of hay grass have been introduced to add texture and visual definition, particularly during the summer months.
The result is a course that is not only more visually striking but also more efficient to maintain—an increasingly important balance for modern golf resorts looking to deliver quality without compromise.
A destination taking shape
With parallel investment across the Prince Bishop’s Course, practice facilities, and leisure offering, Ramside Hall is clearly positioning itself as more than a single-course stop. Instead, it is evolving into a complete golf destination—one capable of supporting short breaks, group travel, coaching-led stays, and longer itineraries across the North East.
For golf travellers exploring England beyond the traditional southern strongholds, Ramside Hall’s ongoing transformation reinforces the depth and diversity of experiences available—and highlights the North East’s growing confidence as a region firmly on the international golf map.